Project LuKaito: Episodes and Memories
by yiseunggi
Summary: January 16: Everyone believes Prisoner 13224 is suicidal. Kaito, a new officer, is about to discover the wild fantasy created by his captive.
1. January 1 and 2

**Project LuKaito: Episodes and Memories**

* * *

**January 1  
****Genre: **Adventure/General  
**Summary: **Have you ever wondered how it feels like to be close to the sun?

**January 2**  
**Genre:** Friendship/General  
**Summary:** Tissues can be used for many things. They can be used to clone butterflies.

* * *

**January 1**

When I was little, I always wondered how it felt like if I were close to the sun. One day, I found the highest tree I could find and began to climb it without thinking twice. The tree barks were sharp as knives and it cut through my frail skin. It hurt, but I didn't care. I ignored it and continued to climb. While climbing, drops that looked like liquid began to drop down to my hair.

_Do trees cry?_ I wondered._ Is it because the weather's too hot?_

Wanting to know, I began to climb faster. When I reached the top, I saw a boy. A small boy about my age sitting on a branch while licking a half melted ice-cream. The sun shone behind him and the tips of his blue hair were glittering. When we made eye-contact, he smiled.

"Nice to meet you. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

I said nothing back, because now I understood the answer to my question. That day, is when the sun shone above us.

* * *

**January 2 **

"Luka, do you know what tissues can do?"

The pink-haired girl sitting next to him frowned. She was scared to look down from the tall tree branch they were sitting on. Her mother strictly told them to stay near their house and not to wonder off into the grassy field. The boy somehow influenced her to join him up here. "You blow on them," she replied.

The blue-haired boy laughed loudly after hearing her innocent response. "Anything else?" he continued.

The little girl began to think for a little while before answering the question. "Uhhh... you use it to clean dirty stuff."

Hearing this, the boy began to grin. "No, there's more to it. Stand up. I'll show you."

This made the little girl gasp in surprise. She held his hands and begged him to sit down. "Kaito, if my mom see's us here then she won't give us any dessert tonight!"

"Do you think it will snow soon?" he questioned.

"Kaito, you're being stupid now. It's the middle of the summer!"

"Oh?" Little Kaito began tugging the tissues one by one out of the tissue box. "Really?"

"Yeah. Its just white paper. Its not like it's going to turn into a lion or something. But if it could, I wanna see it happening..."

The girl gasped when she saw the boy ripping the tissues into little pieces.

"You're wasting tissues! I need them when I need to blow my nose!"

"Just be quiet and help me," urged the boy.

Luka felt uneasy but did what she was told. One by one, they each tore the soft tissue until there was none left.

The boy grinned as he grabbed a handful of his creation. "Luka," he said, "watch this."

He slowly let go of the soft tissues and watched them softly float in the air. "It looks like snow, right?"

Little Luka couldn't help but gasp in delight when she saw the little tissues fall in slow motion. She stared at them in aw. "It... they look like butterflies! There's millions of little butterflies!" she tugged on his arm excitedly.

"Luka, this is going to be our little secret. And what you saw just now, is a secret too. Okay?"

The girl grinned and agreed. She hugged him as she smiled even more.

The little boy glanced at the girl hugging him. If she smiled, then so would he.

* * *

**A/N: **I introduce you to my little one-shot collection. I might not be active on this one because I have other stories to work on. These one-shots just came into my mind while I was doing something else and I thought, "OH! I GOTTA ADD THIS STORY SOMEWHERE!" and that's how _Project LuKaito_ started. So... 2 one-shots done! Wish me luck! ^^


	2. January 3

**January 3  
Genre: **Humor/Hurt/Comfort  
**Summary: **Ever since she was born, Luka was raised to be "perfect." A boy who lives around her neighborhood comes and informs her that perfection isn't always the key to happiness.

* * *

**January 3**

Little Luka didn't like perfection. Perfect test scores, perfect beauty, perfect life.

Perfection, perfection, perfection.

She never lived a day without hearing that dreaded word. That's how her parents raised her, and she was tired of it. She wanted to break free. She longed for a day where she could make a simple mistake and not get scolded for it. Luka walked around the town on a cold, rainy, January afternoon without an umbrella. She had just ditched school because she was tired of learning. Luka was tired of everything.

_I skipped my violin lesson today. Will my teacher be mad?_ she thought. _My grades will go down. Will my parents be angry?_

Luka was too busy thinking about her "what ifs" that she didn't notice a boy standing in front of her.

"Oof!" she bumped into him making him drop his ice-cream cone.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked, trying to steady the poor child.

Little Luka stared at the fallen ice on the wet gound. "Your ice-cream! I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah," he almost whispered. "Don't worry about it."

The boy looked as if he was near the same age as Luka. Everything he wore was blue. Blue raincoat, blue pants, blue scarf, even blue hair! Together they stood facing each other in silence. Luka couldn't help but gaze in aw into his crystal blue eyes. When she sensed the awkwardness, she smiled nervously and bowed once before turning to walk away.

"Hey!" the boy grabbed her arm to halt her steps. "Do you know where _Rainbow_ is?" he asked.

Luka blinked. "Huh? No, I don't."

"Rainbow is everywhere! It's all over the world!" he cheered, waving his arms into the air.

"The world is... Rainbow?" she questioned.

"Stupid!" he laughed at her. "Everyone knows!"

It took every strength she had to stop herself from punching this idiotic boy in the face.

He smiled. "Don't worry, you'll find it!"

"What?"

"Here!" he unwrapped his blue scarf and wrapped it around her cold neck. "Take it! This is a super rare item!"

"Huh?" Luka couldn't believe what he was saying. What in the world is he talking about? He must be really stupid.

"I'm moving today so I came here to say good-bye to everyone, but its raining so no one's outside!" he flashed his big grin and gave her a thumbs up. "I trust you can find Rainbow for me."

"Good-bye princess!" he smiled as he started to back away. "I'll be going now!"

"W-wait!" she grabbed his hand before he could walk away.

"Yeah?"

"How do I find Rainbow? Do I have to do something to make it come out?"

The boy just grinned at her. "Don't worry, you'll find it. It shines. Just like you!"

"I... shine?" Luka blushed madly. She placed her hands on her hot cheeks just as the rain started to decrease.

"Yeah! At first, I thought you were an angel! A angel with white wings!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! A beautiful angel with pretty pink hair!" the boy kept talking as he began to walk home. "I swear I saw a gold halo on top of your head! Just like a real angel!"

By now, the boy was far from Luka but she could still hear him.

"Don't worry, you'll find it! It shines, just like you!"

"Th-thank you!" the girl shouted. Luka wasn't sure if he heard her or not, but she knew that he could see her waving good-bye.

He turned around and gave her one last smile. "Good-bye princess! Next time we meet, I'll become your shining knight! I promise!"

Luka waved good-bye until the small blue figure couldn't be seen anymore. She used her other hand to touch the blue scarf. It was still warm from him wearing it.

The rain had stopped and Luka decided it was time to go back. Step by step, she smiled as she splashed the puddles on the ground until a figure caught her attention. She saw something beautiful and colorful in the sky. It had series of colors ranging from red, orange, yellow, all the way to purple. It was glittering in the sky. But with a help from the sun behind, it shined. Just like her.


	3. January 4

**January 4  
Genre: **Friendship/Tragedy**  
Summary: **Ever since she was little, Luka was always sick. Kaito was the only person who ever stayed next to her. A single promise helps them grow stronger.**  
**

* * *

**January 4**

**11 Years Ago**

"Luka-chan, what do you want to be when you grow up?" said the blue-haired boy.

The little girl, Luka, gazed at the boy who sat next to her bed.

"I haven't really thought about it. I might not be alive by the same I grow up. What about you Kaito-kun?"

The boy frowned. "It's not good to think negatively. My mom told me everyone should always be positive!"

"But that's-"

"No!" the boy reached for her hand that she hid underneath her warm blanket. They both ignored the paleness of her skin. "Luka, I want to be a singer when I grow up. I also want to compose a song you'll like forever and ever!"

"Ehhh... Kaito-kun, won't that be wasting time? That might take forever."

Unsatisfied with her answer, he flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" the poor girl gently rubbed the red mark on her small forehead with her free hand. She scowled at the boy next to her.

"If you don't want to get hurt, then think positively!"

Luka smiled. This boy... there's something about him that gave her a reason to live. It made her like him more and more.

"Kaito-kun, do you want to make a promise with me?"

The boy grinned. "What kind kind of promise?"

"I'll live until the day you come to me with your oh-so-wonderful music. In return, you'll have to work hard to become the best singer in the world! Until that day, I won't think about anything negatively. Only positive stuff, okay?"

Kaito grinned. He grabbed her hand and their pinkie's touched.

"Okay! It's a promise!"

Luka grinned. "There's more."

"What?"

"Until that day comes, you must never forget about me. Is that a promise?"

The boy laughed. "Okay, okay, I promise!"

Luka raised her hand again to make the promise, but Kaito had other plans. He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek with a sincere smile.

Blushing madly, Luka was startled. "W-what was that for?" she said.

The boy grinned. "A promise," he answered with a laugh.

The promise was done just like that. But that laugh was the final laugh she heard from him since they were young.

* * *

**Present**

_Ba-bump... Ba-bump, Ba-bump..._

Luka continued to cough, but she could hear everything. From the sounds of her heartbeat, to the noise out in the hallway. Her sickness grew worse over the past years but she continued to live. She wasn't going to give up now. Not now. She had to stay strong. Having the bedroom all to herself, Luka was very lonely. No one except for Kaito bothered to enter her room because they were afraid her sickness would affect them.

11 years ago was when she last saw Kaito. Every day she reminded herself that he would come back to her. _Kaito must be performing somewhere overseas,_ she thought. _He's going to come back._ After all, they made a promise, right?

One day, the door to her room opened. Luka was surprised since hardly anyone came to see her.

"Luka?" said a deep male voice.

"Come in," she struggled to speak those words. She didn't recognize that voice.

"Luka," the voice said again. The door was fully open and it revealed a person she hardly recognized. It was his blue hair that answered her question.

He wore a long white coat and his signature blue scarf she remembered him always wearing when they were little; even if it was the middle of the summer. Luka blinked. She couldn't believe it. Is she dreaming? She hoped it was reality.

"Ka...i...to?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he grinned that dorky smile he always showed her when they were little.

"Stupid," she teased. Her coughing seemed to worsen and she didn't have the strength to support herself anymore.

Kaito grabbed a chair nearby and brought it beside her to sit down.

"What are you doing?" she barely managed to speak those words, but Kaito understood her.

"Here," he didn't waste another second and held out a pair of headphones as he smiled. "I promised, remember?"

Luka couldn't believe it. The promise they made when they were little... he remembered it.

"No," she shook her head and shoved the headphones away. "I cant wear it. It'll get infected."

Kaito opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but stopped. Luka knew he was unsatisfied with her actions, but he didn't say anything about it. It made her feel guilty. He grabbed her hands and held them tightly.

"Then I'll sing it," he concluded and closed his eyes and began to sing.

_Otagai no mabataki ga kikoeru kurai no kyori na no ni (We're so close to each other that we can almost hear each other's blinks.)_

_Itsu no ma ni ka maku wa orite (Yet, before I know it, the curtain has been lowered,)_

Luka closed her eyes and began to dream in her sleep while listening to his soft voice. This song... it's very... beautiful. She couldn't describe it. Beautiful isn't enough. Kaito is with her. She wasn't alone anymore.

_Sore de mo mata maku wa agaru (Yet, once again, the curtain will be raised,)_

_Dareka to te o tori odoridasu (And I will take someone's hand and start dancing.)_

The almost-inanimate girl laid on her bed, tears rolling down from her eyes as she smiled. Her childhood friend, still holding her hands, gave her one kiss on her lips and nuzzled against her slim neck. He too couldn't help but start to cry, but he courageously continued to sing.

_Iki o hazumase aruite yuku (I, panting heavily, walk on,)_

_Hana no obane ga sasou mama ni (Allured by that flower's tail feathers.)_

_Ba-bump... ba...bump... ba... _

* * *

**A/N: **The song Kaito sang is called _FLOWER TAIL_ by yuukiss.


	4. January 5 and 6

**January 5  
Genre: **Family/Hurt/Comfort**  
Summary: **Luka feels alone after losing her brother. Nothing feels the same anymore.

**January 6  
Genre: **General/Humor  
**Suimmary: **What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

* * *

**January 5**

It was raining and cold, but I didn't care. Who would care about anything when someone special to you passed away? I stood in the wet field, trying to stay strong but it was hopeless. The rain fell on my cheeks which mixed with my tears. My mascara was dripping down and I knew I looked like a clown.

But I don't care.

In front of me is a grave carved _Luki Megurine_. Luki, my brother, is gone. From now on, I have to live every day by myself. He meant everything to me. My brother, my friend, and... my hero. He took care of me when I was sick, introduced me to his friends so I wouldn't be alone, and supported me when I decided to become a singer. He was always standing next to me. No one understands how I feel. Meiko has Meito, Miku has Mikuo, Rin has Len, and Kaito has... a lot. Takaito, Akaito, Kaiko and so on. They don't understand how I feel. I started to avoid them to try to stop the pain.

"Luka?" a voice called my name.

I blinked in surprise. _Did Luki just... talk to me?_ I thought.

"Luka!" the voice said again. "What are you doing here? I wanted to- oof!"

I turned around in surprise and saw Kaito on the ground. Ice cream was splattered all over the muddy grass.

"Kaito?" I whispered.

He winced. "That hurt..."

"Kaito," I whispered again.

Taking his time, he got up and looked at me curiously. "Luka?" he questioned.

_Why does he sound surprised?_

He moved his finger to his cheek. "You have black lipstick on your cheeks."

I blinked and continued to stare at him until I finally understood what he was trying to say. It's the mascara. I turned around and covered my face with my hands.

"Were you crying?" he asked.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"Luka-"

"Go away!"

He froze. Then slowly, I felt him reach out to me and slowly turn me around so I would face him. He gently pulled my hands again and wiped the mascara off my face with the sleeve of his coat, staining it in the process.

"The lipstick is gone," he said after a moment of silence.

"It's mascara," I answered, "not lipstick."

He chuckled. "Sorry, woman's makeup are hard to memorize. There's too much."

Gripping my fists, I bit my lower lip.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. When I didn't answer, he looked around until he finally took notice of the grave. "Oh," he frowned. "I see."

_I see?_ I clenched my fists. _Is that all he can say?_

"Get out of here," I snarled. I pointed to the exit of the graveyard without looking at him in the eye.

He stood in the same spot even though I told him to go away.

"Luka," he started. "You-"

"Didn't you hear me?" I shouted at him. I couldn't shout anymore. The tears were blocking my voice. I felt the presence of a hand patting my shoulder. Pulling back, I glared at him. "Go away. A stupid person like you shouldn't be here."

"Luka," he gazed into my eyes with a sincere expression. "Why do you avoid us?"

_What?_

"You always eat by yourself." Kaito went on. "Don't you like us?"

_I..._

"Do you want to be alone?" he said.

_Excuse me?_

"Kaito-" I started, but stopped when he put his hand over my mouth.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

I stood there shocked, confused, and speechless. I didn't do anything when he came closer and hugged me.

"I'm here," he says. "Don't worry."

He hugged me very gently. It was like a human umbrella covering me from the rain.

"It's okay to cry," he says, "because I'm here."

And just like that, the tears came again. But this time, it came because of happiness.

* * *

**January 6**

Inside an ice cream store, there stood a couple standing side by side next to the cashier.

"Kaito," a pink-haired girl asked. "Which flavor do you like?"

Her lover seemed to think about it for a second. "Strawberry," he finally replied.

"Really? I like vanilla."

"Strawberry is better," the blue-haired boy argued.

"No," the girl countered. "Strawberry is too sweet. Vanilla is better. It's plain and simple."

"Hm? For me, strawberry is better."

"Why?" the girl asked.

He grinned. "Because the pinkness reminds me of you." Grinning like an idiot, he reached out for her hand. "You ready to order?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "Yeah."

He faced the cashier. "Sir, can you get me a strawberry? Vanilla for my girlfriend."

"Sure," the cashier replied.

"Wait," interrupted the girl, grinning at her boyfriend. "Please give me blueberry instead."


	5. January 7 and 8

**January 7  
Genre: **Friendship/Romance  
**Summary: **Luka questions Kaito what he would do if she was far away.

**January 8**  
**Genre:** Friendship/Humor  
**Summary:** Luka always wears plain clothes. Miku thinks it's time to change and helps her get noticed by the cute art teacher next door.

* * *

**January 7**

"Kaito, if I was gone, what would you do?"

"I wouldn't do anything."

"Why?"

"Because without you, my life wouldn't be complete."

She awarded him with a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

**January 8**

It was a typical day at Megurine-sensei's Engish class. They had just started reading William Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_ and the kids were already tired of it. The only person who seemed interested was the teacher, Megurine-sensei, a.k.a. Luka. The class quietly groaned while waiting for this dreaded class to end. Unfortunatly they would have to wait over an hour until their freedom arrives.

Megurine-sensei is your typical teacher. She's strict but very good at teaching. She's also considered one of the prettiest adult in the school. She makes everyone stare at her in awe while looking at her smooth, spotless skin. Her azure eyes could dazzle everyone who dares to stare at it. However, everyone has a downside. Megurine-sensei didn't seem to care much about her appearance and always wore old blouses and knee-length skirts.

In short, she's unfashionable. And she didn't seem to mind.

"Rin Kagamine, please start reading Act 2," the teacher ordered.

"Huh?" the blonde raised her head while drool flooded her desk.

A silver-haired boy who sat a few seats behind her groaned. "Rin, that's gross." Piko muttered.

"Shut up!" Rin barked.

"Rin Kagamine," the teacher spoke again. "I asked you to read."

"Uhhh... where are we?" the girl questioned while flipping the book to random pages.

Luka sighed. If her students wanted to pass her class, they had to concentrate. "We're starting Act 2."

"Okay, hand on a second," the girl answered, quickly flipping to the correct page.

"Sensei!" a teal-haired girl called out. She had a leek on her mouth as she waved her hand in the air.

Megurine-sensei sighed at the little troublemaker. "Miku, how many times have I told you not to eat in my class? Detention for you."

"Sensei~" the girl pouted. "I've already gotten like... a bajillion detention slips from you. How will I ever graduate?"

"Dear, you'll graduate once you actually pay attention. This is English class, not math class."

The rest of the class snickered while Miku dug into her backpack to find her English book in embarrassment.

"Sensei, go easy on me." the teal-haired girl muttered.

"Miku, be quiet."

Miku shivered. "Sensei... I... I... NO WONDER YOU DON'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"

The whole class gasped in shock. Megurine-sensei is not only the prettiest, she's also known to be the scariest teacher in the school. The class watched in awe at the brave Miku who just dared to yell at their teacher.

"...Miku Hatsune..." the teacher slowly whispered, unsure if she heard right. "What did you just say?"

"I mean, you're already in your twenties and you should have a boyfriend by now! But you can't find yourself a nice guy because you scare them away!"

"Miku-"

Miku huffed. "And you're so pale! You're wasting a lifetime!"

Miku was right. Megurine-sensei is very pretty, but she's also known to dress very... plain.

"Simple can be good," Luka muttered.

The teal-haired girl violently shook her head. "No! Admit it sensei. You've always wanted a boyfriend, right?"

The class looked at Luka and waited for her response. "My..." Luka was shocked and unable to function her brain. "Be... be quiet!"

But Miku isn't a girl who would give up so easily. "We're both girls, sensei." Miku grinned. "I know you like someone."

"Stop!"

The class watched as the teal-haired girl stand up from her seat and slowly walk toward her teacher. Once she did, the girl leaned close so that only Luka would be able to hear whatever she was going to say next. "I know you have your eyes set on Shion-sensei," she whispered softly.

The teacher stumbled but caught her balance. "Miku!" Luka screamed, blushing badly.

The teal-haired girl grinned slyly. "Don't worry," she said. "I can help you."

"I don't need a boyfriend!" Luka shouted.

The teal-haired girl didn't listen to her teacher. She went back to her desk and reached into her bag to grab something. Once she found what she was looking for, Miku pulled out what it seemed like a hair curler and smiled innocently. "Sensei," she giggled. "It's time for you to get a makeover."

"How-"

"Haku, go get some clothes out of my locker!" Miku ordered to a girl sitting besides her.

"Y-yes Miku," the silver-haired girl whispered. She obeyed and walked out the door without asking permission from the teacher.

"Haku!" shouted Megurine-sensei. "I never gave you permission leave! Haku!"

Without another word, Megurine-sensei got shoved into a chair by a small group of girls who were obviously on Miku's side. She accidently dropped her book in the process. "My book!"

"Sensei~" Rin was standing next to the teacher, grinning innocently at the teacher who looked like she was having a nightmare. She was holding what seemed to be a bottle of nail polish. "Don't worry," she said. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"Rinny," Miku pouted. "Don't take all the fun away."

Before Luka could say anything, Miku reached out and started to apply on a dark shade of mascara. Luka made a mental note to give them all a detention slip when this was all over. The next twenty minutes were spent by the majority of girls working on Luka while the boys sat down talking or playing games on their phones.

"Stop moving!" Lily shouted. "You ruined the blush!"

_Blush?_ Luka thought. _What in the world are they doing to me?_

Ten minutes past and Haku gave a beautiful dress to Luka for her to change into.

"Wear this!" Miku ordered, eyeing the dazzling azure dress Luka held in her eyes. "It'll look perfect on you!"

Luka groaned. There was no point in arguing now. She left the class to go to the restroom.

Time passed again as Luka came back. Everyone in class watched in awe and some even squealed in delight. The strapless dress showed off her fine clavicle as well as her pale skin. For shoes, she wore a black five inch heels with straps. Her hair was still straight but was slightly curled near the bottom. Her ocean blue eyes were mesmerizing thanks to the mascara and eyeliner that Rin had put on.

Luka could only gasp in shock when she saw her reflection on her mirror. "Is... is this really me?" she asked.

"Yup!" Miku grinned proudly at her masterpiece.

All of the sudden, the class door opened as Shion-sensei, a.k.a. Kaito, the art teacher walked in from next door. He's also known to be the hottest male teacher in the school. He came in looking confused with Piko standing behind him smiling smugly.

"Luka, Piko told me-" the art teacher stopped talking once he saw the beautiful teacher. "Luka?" he asked, unsure if it's really her.

Luka blushed. _It's embarrassing! He probably thinks I'm a freak!_

"Shion-sensei!" Teto chirped. "Perfect timing! What do you think of Megurine-sensei?"

"She looks pretty, doesn't she?" Rin shouted.

Luka blushed harder. She tried to cover her face with her hands but Miku wouldn't let her. _It's ok! You're pretty!_ she mouthed. Luka only groaned as a reply.

The blue-haired teacher coughed, trying to hide the red hue on his cheeks. "Well... this really shocked me. I... well..." he blushed harder.

"Shion-sensei's blushing!" Len shouted from his seat.

"Well..." Kaito started but stopped for a second. He swallowed once before starting again. "For me, Luka looks pretty in anything she wears."

The class cheered looking at the two lovebirds. Luka didn't know what to do when she felt herself blushing even harder than before.

Shion-sensei continued his speech. "In fact," he started again. "I wonder if she'll go out with me on Sunday?" Kaito walked out the door. But before he left, he gave Megurine-sensei one last wink. The whole class exploded with cheers.

The bell rang to tell everyone that class just ended. Before Miku left, she handed Luka a paper that contained her phone number and mouthed, _Call me! I'll give you another makeover for your date!_ Luka rolled her eyes but smiled. Miku ran out the door and scurried to her next class.

When school was over, Luka typed in the grades for her students on her computer. But before logging off, she gave one extra credit to everyone in her class.


	6. January 9 and 10

**January 9  
Genre: **Hurt/Comfort/Romance  
**Summary: **Those three simple words. He regretted them leaving his mouth. He broke up with her for no reason. Can he get her back?

**January 10  
Genre: **General/Humor  
**Summary: **Kaito wants to rearrange the ABC alphabet.

* * *

**January 9**

"Let's break up."

Those three dreaded words. He finally said it. He mentally prepared himself for a slap or beatings but nothing came. He looked at her with his dazzling blue eyes. She responded by smiling back with her sparkling azure eyes.

That beautiful smile... he would no longer see it ever again.

"Luka..."

"I understand."

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

"This is good-bye, right? Well then, good-bye."

He saw her one last smile and turned to leave. He could feel her gaze on his back as he continued to walk.

**oOo**

Kaito felt sick. Only minutes past but he felt dizzy. He hated it. He hated how he had to clench his fists while walking around town. Old memories began to play even though he didn't summon it. Worst of all, the memories were all about Luka.

He passed by an ice cream store for some ice but left because it reminded him of the first time he met Luka. That day was when he accidentally spilled ice cream all over his pants after carelessly trying to watch a beautiful girl sitting a table away without getting caught. The girl noticed him after he let out a little cry. She turned around and saw the accident he made. Luka laughed and handed him her handkerchief.

He passed by a park remembering the first date they ever went to. He had forgotten to bring an umbrella when it was pouring rain. It didn't make any sense to him. It was sunny the day before so he concluded it would've been sunny on their first date. Luka didn't seem to mind it at all. She wasn't angry at him for getting her wet. Instead, she laughed and held his hands. Together, they marched around the park singing while rain poured on them. They were childish. They both got sick on the next day.

Kaito went to a local pet shop. Sometime, looking at the furry hamsters somehow healed his heart. The pet store was when they both adopted a small kitten. One was black and the other was white. They were a good match. It was also the place they had their first kiss. Unexpected, right?

He rode the city bus. The bus was crowded as usual. Kaito held onto a strap while the bus zoomed to the next stop. People left and new people arrived. There was a empty seat beside him and just when he was about to sit down, a blond boy arrived first and sat down. He smiled without acknowledging Kaito's presence. He made a hand gesture to someone and a blond girl with a white ribbon on her head came and sat on his lap. She giggled while the boy hugged her tiny waist like he was her seat belt. There was a time when Kaito "protected" Luka when the bus was crowded. They were both standing until a man accidentally knocked into the girl. He moved to shield her and he ended up standing in the middle like a sandwhich. Her body was pressed against his and he remembered the warmth. Feeling sick, Kaito left at the next stop.

The day passed and it was almost dawn. Kaito walked around endlessly, going wherever his feet took him. But everywhere he went, he only gained painful memories. He walked to his last destination and was surprised to find himself back at the place he met Luka earlier that day. He looked around until something caught his attention. There she was, his princess still standing. She was still standing on the exact spot where they broke up. The sight of her startled him. He saw her crying. A sudden movement in his body made him want to go cheer her up, but Kaito knew he couldn't. After all, they broke up, right? His chest began to tighten even more than before when he found himself not able to comfort her.

"Luka..." he whispered.

Why did he even break up with her in the first place? Was it because of boredom? Was it because he felt like he couldn't protect her? He immediately regretted letting her go. She was everything to him. She was his love. _Is it too late?_ he thought. _Can I still get her back?_

"Luka," he spoke softly.

The pink-haired girl looked up to see the night sky. She knew who's voice that was from the bottom of her heart, but she didn't know if it was a dream.

She caught sight of her prince walking towards her slightly shaking. He seemed to be nervous.

"Kaito?" she questioned, wiping her tears with her hand.

He was close to her now. They made eye contact but neither one of them made the first move.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I... I was stupid."

She waited for him to continue.

"I love you," he said truthfully.

Those three words. He finally said it. It made the pink-haired girl smile.

"I love you," he said again, watching her tears roll down her soft cheeks.

"I love you too," she replied.

* * *

**January 10**

A certain blue-haired boy frowned while looking at the plastic ABC letters hung up on their school whiteboard.

"Kaito-kun, whats wrong?" a pink-haired girl asked. Usually, the boy was always happy everywhere he went. She's always a bit nervous whenever she saw his frown.

"Luka-chan, don't you feel like there's something wrong with the alphabet?" he asked.

Since Luka came from overseas, she knew the alphabet perfectly well. Thanks to her knowledge, she's considered one of the smartest students in their school. Luka looked at the letters but found nothing wrong. "What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with the letters."

"I don't like the arrangement of the alphabet." Kaito answered. "I wanna change it!"

"How?"

He smiled and leaned close to her. "I would put _U_ and _I_ together," he said as he grabbed her hand. "Like this."


	7. January 11

**January 11  
Genre: **Friendship/Romance**  
Summary:** The President of the Student Council is in need of an assisstant! When he finally finds a girl who he knows won't flock over him, he wants her to join. But problem starts when A.) she doesn't speak, and B.) she doesn't want to join!

* * *

**January 11**

"Hey, Momo, do you want to go buy candy with me after school?"

"Yeah, I watched it! When he did that flip, it was so hilarious!"

"Dell~ Let's walk home together!"

"Rin, did you eat my last banana?"

"I failed my math test..."

"Give me food! I'm hungry!"

Everyone's loud and talkative in room V-03. People chattering about their daily lives, teachers roaming around to get their study books, and students playing pranks on one another. However, there's one person sitting in the back corner quietly munching on her freshly packed tuna sandwhich. Her name is...

"Hey guys! He's coming, he's coming!" a teal-haired girl shouted to her friends.

"He is? Already?" a blonde shrieked. "I haven't even started my make up yet!"

"Lily, no one's allowed to wear make-up in school," a boy, Len, said to the girl.

The blonde rolled her azure eyes and frowned at the boy. "I know that, silly. But if you wear make-up, he'll _look_ at _you_ and _tell you_ to go wash it off!"

"OH MY LEEKS! Neru, let me borrow your mascara!" shouted a teal-haired girl. "My eyelashes look so weird!"

"Be quiet!" sushed a short green-haired. "He's coming!"

"Can someone slow him down for a little while? I need to finish putting on my mascara!"

"The President is so... so..." a silver-haired girl who sat near the front of the class didn't finish her sentence. She fainted just by thinking of the so-called "President."

A normal person would've worried and taken the unconscious girl to the nurse, but class V-03 isn't what you would call a "normal" class. It's not a class filled with "normal" students. Do you think a class filled with students with flashy, unnatural hair colors are considered normal? Some would say yes, but majority would say the opposite. If you're worried about Haku, don't worry. She'll wake up sooner or later.

The door opened and everyone turned their head to the person who just entered their classroom.

"Class V-03 is dramatic as always," the newcomer grinned.

"Kaito!" the girls screamed in perfect sync. "We missed you!"

"Everyone, please sit down," their teacher, Hiyama-sensei sighed. The class immediately sat down after hearing his orders. The teacher sighed when he saw his students sitting down. His students never listened to him. They all listened to him because of the guest. "Kaito, you may continue."

Yamaha's President of the Student Council, Kaito Shion, flashed a warm smile to the teacher, making some of the students squeal in delight. He walked his way to the front of the class while the class anticipated for the news.

"Well, for starters," the President didn't hesitate and pointed to a group of girls sitting in the back of the class. "You should know by now that make-up is strictly not allowed on school campus. Please wipe them off at the girls restroom, immediately."

The girls obeyed his orders without a single complaint. They looked happy they were able to fulfill their mission of getting Kaito to notice them and even go far to talk to them. The small assembly stood up from their seats and walked out, giggling to themselves when they passed the person who just scolded them.

Kaito coughed once. "I'm fully aware of the school party coming soon in a month from now." The class cheered once he finished his sentence. Kaito smiled as he viewed the class. "Unfortunately, I'm busy with student council meetings so I won't be able to go." He stopped and waited for the series of groans to stop. "That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Vice President Meiko will be there to watch." Pretty much all the girls groaned while the boys all cheered. Meiko Sakine was like a goddess to them.

"Quiet down!" the teacher scolded. It took seconds for his orders to be fulfilled.

The class awaited for Kaito's next speech. President Kaito stood in front of the class silently debating if he should say the last announcement or not. "And lastly," he started, but stopped. Kaito sighed. "The Student Council is in need of another person to help us. Anyone who wishes to volunteer-"

Piercing screams echoed across the room. Girls screamed when they realized this was their chance to be next to their loved one while the boys shouted in favor or serving the Student Council just so that they could stay by Meiko's side all day. Kaito sighed. He never wanted to add a new member to the Student Council. He knew they wouldn't work. Instead, they would do the opposite. They would do stuff he didn't even want to think about. He didn't want that.

Kaito would rather pick one of the guys but he couldn't. The reason why he came to this class was the grab a female student to join the Student Council for Meiko's sake. Poor Meiko felt like suffocating being the only girl in the Student Council. She pressured him into bringing a girl along to their club. Kaito silently groaned and leaned on the whiteboard; regretting the last announcement he made to the public. Hiyama-sensei was kind enough to motion to him if he should help, but Kaito declined. Even if the teacher helped settle the class, the students wouldn't listen.

Just when Kaito was just about to give up, he noticed something. That was when a simple figure caught his attention. There's a girl sitting in the back of the class quietly munching on her tuna sandwhich while reading a novel. It was like she didn't care what was happening right now. This girl surprised him. It amazed him how he didn't notice her until now. What surprised him the most is the fact that she didn't try to flirt with him even once. She's different. He grinned slyly and slowly walked towards the back of the class. It was perfect. She's the right person.

_I found someone interesting,_ he thought to himself.

"Pick me! Pick me! I'll do anything!" a girl hollered in his ears. He chose to ignore her and continued to his destination.

"I'll do better than her!" another screamed.

President Kaito finally reached his destination. He smirked when the girl didn't seem to notice he was standing next to her desk. She was too focused on her little novel. Slowly, he reached for her fragile hand and raised it up. That was when the girl finally noticed his presence and looked at him with wide eyes. Kaito couldn't help but let out a little laugh when he saw her expression.

"My new assistant," he declared, "will be her."

"EH?" the whole class shouted in disbelief. The girl dropped the tuna she held with her other hand due to shock.

"Let's go," he smiled at her. Without another word, he pulled her up and dragged her out of the class. The girl couldn't do anything in this situation. With his strong hand gripped tightly around hers, she was powerless. She tried her best to free herself but he just wouldn't let go of her.

* * *

They finally arrived. Even though they reached their destination, Kaito didn't let go. Before she could react, he slid the door open and she was shoved inside the room.

"Welcome back!" the members greeted in a chorus.

Kaito smiled in response. "Our new assistant right here," he said, pointing to the new girl.

"Ah, a girl! Meiko will be very plea-"

"KAITO! DAMMIT! WHERE ARE YOU?" a sudden voice changed the aura around them.

The council continued to do their work and pretended they didn't hear a thing. The new girl didn't know what to do. Ever since she was little, she was always the chameleon. She was always hiding and never seemed to stand out. A tall brunette appeared out of her small office holding a tall stack of paper. The little girl shook with fright and hid herself behind the person who forced her to come here. She grabbed onto the back of his uniform so tightly that she was marking little wrinkles on the back. Kaito felt alarmed but quickly calmed himself.

"Meiko, I-"

The brunette didn't listen to him. She practically threw the stack of papers onto his desk and turned to glare at him. She was fuming in anger. "You ditch me with your work and you expect me to..."

The calm President motioned her to be quiet and pointed to the girl standing behind him shivering in fright. "You'll scare her away," he whispered. "You don't want that to happen, right?"

The Vice President made a little 'O' shape with her mouth and quickly smiled. She made her way over to the newcomer and extended her hand. "Nice to meetcha! I'm Meiko Sakine! Or just Meiko for short."

The girl stood quietly, not moving even the slightest. She didn't even release her grip on the President's uniform.

Meiko frowned. "Yo, Pres, I don't think she likes me."

Kaito turned around and greeted her with a warm smile. "Introduce yourself to everyone," he ordered.

The girl didn't say anything. She just stood there for minutes not uttering a single word.

"Ummm... President," one of the member asked after a long period of silence. "Maybe she's mute?"

Kaito frowned. He picked the only girl who didn't flock over him only to find out she couldn't talk? "Well then-"

"I'm... Lu..." the girl quietly mumbled. Everyone practically had to lean closer to her to listen.

"Ruku?"

"I thought she said Lulu?"

"What kind of name is that?"

Kaito sighed. It was like talking to a child. "Can you tell us your name again?" he asked politely.

The girl didn't respond. Instead, she turned around and left the room feeling dizzy. The President wasn't in the mood to be playing games. He reached out to grab her but was stopped by his assistant.

"I don't think she wants to join." Meiko concluded. She frowned after thinking for a second. "Did you, you know, _force_ her to join?"

Kaito just sighed.

* * *

The next morning was a crazy morning for the silent girl. When she walked around the school campus, the other students around her whispered to themselves and glanced uneasily at her. She knew she was the center of attention, but she didn't say anything.

"Isn't she the new girl Kaito picked?"

One girl shook her head. "No way. I don't believe it."

"I've heard some awful rumors about her."

When she entered her class, the talking didn't stop. It seemed to worsen after every second. She made her way to her seat and quietly gathered her textbooks from her bag, silently wishing to herself that they wouldn't stare at her so much. It wasn't long until a group of girls approached her desk and sent a loud _bang!_ across the classroom when a large dictionary came crashing down on her wooden desk, crushing her school supplies.

"So," the girl in the middle an annoyed expression on her face. "What makes you think you're so special?"

The girl knew she talking to her, but she didn't say anything. She didn't do anything but stare helplessly at her English textbook crushed underneath the heavy dictionary.

"Answer me!" the girl on her right screeched. She slammed her hands on the table and shoved the textbooks off of the desk. "You're just a-"

"You're a what?" a new voice broke in. The voice sounded so chilly, so deep, that it felt like someone wouldn't be living to see tomorrow. The class turned to stare at the person standing across the room, leaning against the door frame. They all gasped.

"K-Kaito!" one girl looked surprised and put on a poker face.

"President, I... I..." the others looked down at their shoes feeling guilty for getting caught.

The President had his arms crossed in disappointment and his teeth were gritted tightly. "You know there is a no bullying rule in this school, correct?"

The girls nodded hastily.

Everyone watched the live drama. They watched the President walk over to the group of girls surrounding the quiet girl. They flinched and took a step back. He reached for the quiet girl and pulled her up once again, dragging her out of the classroom. They did the same thing as yesterday. He was the leader who took her back to the Student Council room. When they did, the members seemed to be shocked to see her again. Even Vice President Meiko, who looked like she was about to murder someone if she had to read more documents, seemed surprised.

"I must be dreaming," she muttered.

The President kindly led her to his office where no on would disturb them. He let the girl sit on the guest chair as he sat on the chair behind his desk.

"You disobeyed me yesterday," he said, not looking pleased. The girl said nothing in reply.

"Your shoes are not important," he leaned forward and held her chin up. The girl pulled back but he still held onto her. That was when he saw a glimpse of sparkling blue eyes behind that mass amount of pink hair. Her eyes sparkled with innocence. Kaito let go of her and leaned back on his chair. "Tell me your name," he ordered.

The girl didn't say anything.

"Are you mute?" Kaito asked, raising an eyebrow.

The pink-haired girl shook her head.

"Tell me you name."

She was quiet for a few seconds until she finally managed to open her mouth and speak a word. "Lu... ka..." she whispered.

"Ruka?"

She shook her head again. "Luka..."

"Luka?"

She nodded.

The President breathed out in relief and smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She nodded again.

"I picked you out of your classmates to be my assistant. Don't complain because you're going do it, got it?"

The girl Kaito chose as his new assistant is Luka Megurine.

* * *

"You there!" Meiko shouted at a group of troublemakers loitering around the school campus. "You should be in class!"

"Run!" the group of girls screamed and attempted to escape.

"Come on, Luka! Go after them!" the brunette ordered the pink-haired girl.

Luka nodded and they both began to run. They crashed into people and bumped into walls, but in the end, the girls were nowhere to be seen. The two girls sighed in defeat.

Meiko clenched her fists. "Dammit! When I catch them, I'm going to make them wish they were never born."

Luka smiled and patted her friend on the back, motioning to her that it would be all right.

Meiko chuckled and laughed softly, patting Luka's head with her hand. "You're right. We'll get them back for sure."

The bell rang for class to start; some students were finishing up what they were doing and began scurrying to their next classes like mice.

"Get a move on, will ya?" yelled the Vice President. "You're so slow!"

Luka smiled as she looked at her friend. Over the past few years, after being "forced" to join the Student Council, Luka never imagined her life would be entertaining. She gained friends in the Council who didn't care if she didn't talk or not. It was like they could understand her without her having to open her mouth. Luka was no longer alone. Her friends never gave up on her. Thanks to them, she began to get the courage to speak. She liked it so much that she found herself signing up to be a member all four years in her high school years.

It was all thanks to Kaito for introducing her to them. Meiko is the first person who she considered as a friend. Her next friend is a kind student named Gakupo. He's the treasurer of the Student Council. His playfulness made Luka feel welcome when she first joined. Next to Gakupo is Piko. He's a newcomer over the past few years and is an assistant like Luka. His kind personality made people like him, and Luka liked that about him. But out of all, the best person who knew her back is Kaito. The President of the Student Council who forced her to join. To Luka, he was the only person who truly cared about her. Of course, Meiko and the others cared about her too, but Kaito was different. It was like he cared for her more deeply. Kaito is... special. It made her like him.

"Luka, are you listening to me?" Meiko asked.

Luka looked up at her friend. She frowned and shook her head motioning that she didn't.

"LUUUKAAAAA!" the brunette groaned, but she laughed and did a head lock on Luka causing her to make gagging noises.

"Having fun?" a voice broke their fun.

The brunette immediately stopped and turned around. Luka did the same and looked up to see Kaito walking toward them with stacks of papers.

Meiko suddenly paled. "Is that..."

"Here," responded their leader, handing the stack to the Vice President.

"Hey!" Meiko growled. Struggling to keep the papers in place.

"You having fun?" Kaito asked, turning his focus to Luka.

The girl nodded.

"That's good," he patted her head causing Luka to blush. He paused for a second and patted her cheek.

"What in the world is this?" said Meiko, reading the paper on the top.

"They're the graduation diplomas for tomorrow."

The brunette sighed. "Already?"

Kaito nodded in agreement. "We're getting old."

"We?" Meiko chuckled. "I'll be young for as long as I live."

"To be honest, I'm worried," announced Kaito. "About Piko."

Meiko frowned. "Oh yeah, that's right. We're all seniors. Piko's a sophomore."

Luka frowned along as well. She hadn't realized it until now. Her friends were going to graduate tomorrow and go different paths. Tomorrow... they were going to leave... and never see each other again. She was never going to see Meiko. Or Gakupo. Or... Kaito. Her heart fluttered when she thought of Kaito. She flinched.

"Luka?" Kaito asked, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

Luka faced him once again, frowning and biting her bottom lip before quietly walked away.

* * *

The day came. It was the day of the graduation.

Seniors were chatting happily about where they would be studying next or what job they'll be taking. Girls crowded around the Student Council wanting attention for the graduates who wouldn't be attending next year. As for the boys, the boys crowded around Meiko wanting a hug before she left. Everyone was there except for... Luka. After what happened yesterday, no one heard what happened to Luka. Not even Meiko herself. The President- who could have any girl he wanted- didn't know why but he felt guilty after seeing Luka frown. He cared about her. He cared about her very deeply. She's very special to him. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about Luka. Sighing, he walked up to the stage with a microphone in hand.

"Please settle down," he spoke quietly.

The students listened to his orders, motioning Kaito to continue.

"Today is the day we all graduate," he spoke again.

The crowd responded with happy chattering and fist bumps in the air. Some cried out remembering the memories they kept.

"Today is the day we start our new lives and create new memories to cherish."

More happy chattering from the audience. The President turned and saw his fellow members of the club looking at him to go on.

"But never forget what happened to you in the past four years in Yamaha."

The audience was silent. A few dared to clap.

"And now, starting now, this is the-"

A loud sound of a door opening boomed across the gym, cutting off Kaito's sentence. "Wait!" shouted a new voice.

Everyone turned to see where the voice came from gasped in shock. Next to the door stood a member of the Council, Luka Megurine.

Meiko spoke first. "Luka..."

_Luka?_ Kaito thought. And indeed, there she was, standing next to the exit, panting heavily. Her hair was messy and looked like it was unbrushed. Her school uniform was wrinkled and her socks even had a few holes cut open here and there.

"Luka," Gakupo rushed to her side. "What happened?"

The pink-haired girl ignored him and walked towards the stage. She ignored all the murmurs about her and kept walking with all the confidence she had.

"Kaito," she said. Luka is no longer the quiet girl everyone knew. The old Luka is gone. The new Luka took over since the day she joined the Council. The girl clenched her fists until it turned white and had difficulty speaking what she wanted to say. "There's... there's something... you... you need..." Her voice was slowly starting to decrease.

"What is it?" said Kaito, looking at her.

She responded back by grabbing his shoulder with both hands. She shook her head when he looked at her curiously.

"I... I li... like..."

"What?"

"I... like... you..." she said again, slightly louder than before.

"Can you say it again?" Kaito asked, completely confused.

"I..." the pink-haired girl let go of his shoulders and sighed in frustration. She took a step back and took a deep breath. "I like you!" she shouted.

Many people gasped. Leaving out the Council members out, the rest of the students never heard Luka talk before. Especially shouting. But out of them all, Kaito was the surprised the most. He felt... jumpy.

"Luka..." he faced her, trying not to smile. "Is that true?"

The girl nodded, too embarrassed to continue.

He smirked at her. "Well... I don't feel the same way." The President leaned close to her and held Luka's hand tightly around his. He faced everyone and said in a strong voice, "I don't like Luka. The word _like_ isn't enough to describe how I feel. The true word is... _love_."

"Love?" the pink-haired girl whispered.

"Do you love me back?" Kaito asked.

"I..." Luka whispered so only he could hear.

"Louder!" Some people in the audience cried out. "Louder!"

"I," Luka said louder. But it wasn't enough.

"Louder!" this time, more people joined in.

"I..."

"LOUDER!"

"I love you too!" she quickly said. The pink-haired girl blushed deeply after realizing what she just did. The people around her didn't seem to care. Instead, they cheered. When Luka looked up, she saw Kaito laughing and soon hugged her.

He then leaned close and whispered, "I love you too."


	8. January 12 and 13

**January 12  
Genre: **Friendship/General  
**Summary: **Kaito went overseas to become a star. Luka promises him to come back and she'll give him a present. What happens when she finds out Kaito lost his memories?

**January 13  
Genre: **Friendship/Hurt/Comfort  
**Summary: **She has the ability to predict the future. In all her life, Luka is viewed as a tool. All she wants is a person who views her as a regular human being.

* * *

**January 12**

Long ago, there were two kids in the park sitting on a bench.

_Anata wa nani iro ga suki desu ka?_

There was a boy who sang vociferously.

_Kono iro wa doo desu ka? Watashi no iro ja dame desu ka?_

There's a girl who sat next to him and was looking at him in awe. Her pure crystal blue eyes were focused only on the boy.

_Miru koto wa deki nai keredo._

Together, they did everything.

_Kitto anata no suki na iro deshou._

They were unstoppable.

_Miru koto wa deki nai keredo._

The boy stopped and turned to face the girl.

"How is it?" he inquired. "Did I get better?"

"Perfect!" the girl exclaimed, giving the boy a thumbs up with a bright smile. "Better than yesterday!"

"Really?"

"Uh-huh! The best singer in the whole wide world!" she shouted, waving her arms around the air. They both laughed.

"I'm going to be the best singer in the world!" he announced proudly, standing up on the bench to look tall.

"Oh yeah? I want to see that happen!" she stood up with him, merely choking the boy in the process by grabbing his scarf to steady herself.

The boy stopped smiling as he sat back down. The girl who was confused did the same and asked, "What's wrong?"

He didn't reply.

"Are you sick?" she placed her hand on his forehead to feel the heat.

The boy shook his head and reached into his pocket. While doing so, the girl viewed closely to what he was doing.

"What is it? Tell me! Tell me!" she pleaded, shaking his arm.

He pulled out something thin yet long. It was brown and covered in sparkling blue glitter he must have pasted back at home. It was a little chocolate bar. He handed it to her. "It's a gift," he said in a whisper, "for you."

The girl said nothing as she received the gift. "Is this really... for me?" she muttered, surprised at the chocolate she was holding.

The boy nodded as he looked away, too embarrassed to say anything. It made the girl laugh as she embraced him for a hug.

"Thank you," she replied, still smiling at the chocolate bar he gave her. "Thank you!"

"Luka, I-" he began, but before he could finish, his mother appeared and called for him.

"Kaito, it's time to go!" she called to the boy.

"I have to-" he tried again.

"Kaito! We're going to be late!"

The girl gave him a little push as he stood up. "Go," she grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Before her friend could say anything, his mother grabbed him by his hand and took him away.

"I'll give you something special!" the girl shouted to him, unaware of his guilt. Luka waved her arm goodbye to him as he left, smiling like it was the best day in her life.

"Meet me here! It's a promise!" she shouted.

But the next day he didn't come. He didn't come the day after that. Or that day after that day. Or the day after that. He never arrived at the park like she told him to. It was later until she learned that he moved somewhere far away...

_One Year Later_

She went to the park everyday knowing he wouldn't come, but she thought there was a chance that he would come. They made a promise, right?

_Two Years Later_

Kaito started his career as a singer. He's still a rookie, but he's slowly increasing his fame. The girl found out by watching him perform on a show she enjoyed watching. Even though he aimed to become a star, he still didn't come to their meet.

But there's a good reason why he never came. The girl learned that the boy lost his memories. She thought it was just a rumor at first but later learned it was true. Devastated, the Shion family moved back to his hometown hoping their song would regain his memories. Luka didn't know where he lived so she couldn't go meet him, but she knew she was one step closer to meeting him again. Even though he never came, she felt the urge to go to the park. Her gift was sitting flat on the bench next to her like every other year.

She waited and waited, but he never arrived.

_Three Years Later_

Her friends keep telling her to forget about him, but Luka is a stubborn girl. She never chose to give up.

_Three is my lucky number,_ she silently thought.

The girl went to the park again but this time, there was no gift. She walked knowing she would be wasting her time; but at the same time, she also felt guilty if she broke her promise. She knew Kaito wouldn't remember about their past. He's probably living somewhere with his new friends. Her sad gloom turned upside down when she saw a small figure sitting on the bench. The figure was sitting on _their_ bench. The bench she promised to meet him. Coming closer she saw a ray of blue hair blowing in the direction the wind was blowing. She knew it was him. It was Kaito.

"Kaito?" the girl walked towards the figure, hoping this wasn't a dream. "Is that you?"

The boy didn't reply. The figure sat there looking gloomy at the sunset.

She tapped on his shoulder and he turned around, looking at her with his bored expression.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Why are you here?"

He was silent for a minute before answering, "I... don't know..." Clearly, his memories didn't come back.

She sat on the spot next to him not knowing what to do.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't... remember," he replied, looking ashamed.

"Why is an idol sitting here all alone?" she grinned. "Shouldn't you be somewhere partying with the rest of your popular friends?"

"I know. But... for some reason, I felt like I had to come here." Kaito admitted. "My body moved on its own."

"So in short, you're waiting for someone?" Luka asked.

"I guess so."

She wasted no time.

She leaned close to him and kissed him on the lips. He jerked back in surprise but didn't stand up.

"Thank you," she whispered when she finally pulled away. "Thank you for remembering." The pink-haired girl stood up not wanting him to see her cry, but the blue-haired boy grabbed her wrist to halt her. She tried to pull away, but his grip never loosened.

"…Luka?"

* * *

**January 13**

In a faraway kingdom there lived a king and queen and their daughter. The Megurine family were royal. They owned wealth, soil, food, water and oil.

How did they become wealthy?

The answer to that is because they have a "tool" who is the key to their happiness. The tool is the king and queen's own daughter, Luka. Their daughter is a special girl. She was born with a gift that allowed her to succeed from others. Her specialty is... seeing the future.

She's a very special girl. When Luka was little, she was proud of having this magic. It made her feel more loveable. But now at the age of 17, she was tired of it. Tired of it all. Everywhere she went people would follow her like a goddess. But Luka wasn't dumb. She knew that behind those happy faces they show her, it's all just a show. Her parents didn't think of her feelings at all. They thought as long as their tool was with them, everything would be fine.

But one day, someone kidnapped Luka. Growing furious, her father ordered all the knights to go save her. It was a big hassle in the beginning but the knights found her and the kidnapper was fated to be hung. Her father didn't want his precious daughter to experience that moment again so he wrote a little letter to his friend in the kingdom below for help. The country below was ruled the Shion family. The Shion weren't rich; instead, they were known to be strong warriors. The king agreed to send his best warrior in exchange for money and land. They both agreed.

That was when the princess and her knight first met. Their fateful encounter started on this day. The princess was sitting on the porch in front of her mansion, gazing at a blue butterfly until someone approached her.

"Excuse me," a person asked. Luka looked up and saw someone, a boy about her age, looking at her with his calm blue eyes. When she didn't respond, he flashed her a kind smile. "Are you Luka Megurine?" he questioned.

Luka nodded. That was when she decided not to like him. She thought he came to ask her to read his future. Just when she was about to ask him to leave, he bent down on one knee and bowed.

"Starting today," he breathed. "I'll be here to protect you everywhere you go."

Luka twitched. She didn't know what to reply. She allowed him to stay by her side hoping he would get tired of her and ask someone else to guard her, but to her surprise, he never left. She was a bit uncomfortable to be around him at first. He would follow her everywhere she went. Whenever she turned to face him, he would always look back at her with a kind smile that made her heart skip a beat. The princess asked him to treat her as a friend, and he obeyed her orders. After that day, she grew to love him.

Her knight wasn't like any other people she met. He stood by her side and kept her company whenever she needed one. Whenever she was in trouble, he gave her tips and helped her fix the problem. He did everything a friend needed to accomplish. He treated her like a normal human being- a human who didn't care about her talent- and that made her love him even more. She hoped he would stay by her side forever.

Luka was happy. She didn't want him to leave her side. She _needed_ him. But that all changed one night when she had a dream. In her dream she saw blood sprayed everywhere on the floor and swords scattered all over the place. Bodies were on the floor, unmoved. It was a deadly war. Luka was used to these bloody scenes since she was little. It was normal for her. But this dream was different; it scared her. The most horrible thing she saw was her blue-haired man on the floor, not moving an inch.

The princess didn't say anything about her dream to anyone. It was the first time she didn't tell her parents about it. She hoped with all her might that the vision she had was a prank, but she knew that it was real. To Luka, hope didn't exist. Days past with the usual routine. Kaito would follow her around and Luka would walk around town looking for something enjoyable to do. She tried to act normal and always made sure her knight didn't leave her side. Even when she took a bath, she ordered him to keep talking to her from outside so she knew he was still there. At night, she told him to stay by her side and sleep on the couch in her room. She was desperate to protect her knight- her only friend. She hoped to prove her vision wrong.

That night she had a vision of the war starting soon. The princess panicked and woke her knight, dragging him far away from the mansion as far as she could. Kaito didn't know what was going on. He couldn't refuse and followed her. He allowed himself to be dragged away by Luka somewhere he didn't know. Just as they were walking, a sound of something exploding struck hard. The duo turned around and found one side of the castle burning. Maids were setting out the fire with buckets of water and the guards were fighting the enemy. Luka pulled his hand trying to pull him away, but her friend wouldn't budge. He said nothing as he reached for the sword hanging on his belt.

"Luka," he quietly asked. "Am I going to die?"

The princess didn't reply.

"Am I going to die?" he said again.

Her sobs answered his question. Luka didn't want him to die. She didn't want him to leave her. The only person in the world who viewed her as a regular person was about to go into war and get himself killed. She tugged on his clothes, begging him to stay. It was then when she felt a warm hand pat her wet cheek. She looked up and saw him with a small smile. Without another word, he turned around and went to fight. It was times like these when Luka wished Kaito wasn't her knight. She wanted him to be a friend who stayed by her side.

She spent the night in the same spot covering her ears with her hands and shutting her eyes tightly, wishing the war was all just an illusion. The night escaped with swords clashing against each other and people screaming. It never seemed to stop. The next morning, two guards found her and carried her home. That was when she learned from her parents that Kaito was harmed in the middle of the battle. Her vision told the truth.

**oOo**

Days past as Luka sat on the porch where she first met her friend. The days were the same as usual from when she was little. People gathered around to seek for her help, and she was continued to be viewed as a tool. The happiness she once had was all gone. She regretted letting him go that day. If they had gone further, he would've been by her side much longer. Just thinking about him made her cry. She was crying when the sound of footsteps approached her.

"Why are you crying?" said a voice.

She shook her head and wiped the tears off her eyes.

"Are you sad?" the voice said again.

She let a hand wipe her tear away from her cheek. Luka gazed up and her eyes widened when she saw him standing in front of her with his usual soft smile. Her friend was standing in front of her. He was here standing in front of her with a bandaged arm and small cuts all over his body. She reached out and held his hand, unable to stop her tears.

"You're back," she whispered, smiling at him.

He smiled. "I didn't die."

He was her knight who protected her even if it cost his life. He's a friend who always stood by her side.

* * *

**A/N: **Kaito was singing _What's COLOR?_ by Shinjou-P in the first story.


	9. January 14

**January 14  
Genre: **Friendship/Romance**  
Summary: **Luka always looks at Kaito whenever she has a chance. She likes him, but Kaito likes Miku! When Kaito fails his English test, Meiko asks Luka to tutor Kaito! Luka's going to do everything she can to make him notice her.

* * *

**January 14**

**[Prologue]**

My name is Luka Megurine.

Don't almost all stories start like this? Starting with their name? Anyway, when I was young, I was born in Japan but had to move to the States when I was eight since my father got promoted to a higher rank in his job. Six years later, my family moved back to Japan which made me transfer schools again. By luck, I happened to be in the same class with my childhood friends and quickly gained popularity due to my looks, witty, brain, and personality. Over time, I gained more popularity so now in my present life, I'm eighteen, tall, skinny, big chested, fluent in both Japanese AND English, beautiful, smart, popular, friendly, and considered lucky by all of my friends.

However, the word "lucky" is a problem. I don't think I'm fully "perfect" to be tagged as "lucky."

Why?

Because if I'm lucky, why am I still single? I'm not in any romantic relationships. Like any other girl, I want to get rid of my "single" status and go out with the guy of my dreams. To be honest, I have a guy I like. But that's where the problem starts.

I'm the owner of my brain and body so I should be grateful- which, by the way, I am. I know I should be grateful having trustful friends with great knowledge but there's one little teeny weeny problem that bothers me a lot. There's one person I know who doesn't seem to notice me at all. That guy is the guy I secretly love. No matter how hard I try, he doesn't look at me. He looks right _past_ me as if I'm invisible or something. Sometime, I get the feeling he doesn't even know I exist on planet Earth. What's worse is that he likes someone else. And that's not all. The person he likes is my best friend.

Who is this "unlucky" guy you ask? Simple. His name is:

Kaito Shion.

* * *

**[Wednesday]**

My normal day usually starts off around six in the morning as I wake up and get ready for what teenagers call the "horrid" place called school. The house part is boring so I'll skip right to the school scene.

At the front entrance of the school, I get greeted by the younger students and some older students while my friends come hug me and tell me the latest gossip or fashion. It's always the same. I'm in the middle, Miku's on my right, and Lily and Luna are on the left side together. We wait for IA a couple of minutes while we kill time by buying a small snack at the snack bar since she's always oversleeping. Once she joins us, we head our way to our classroom. We enter the class and make our way to my seat to chat, everyone in the class waves a small "hello" to us except for _him_.

Kaito Shion.

I always take a sneak peak just in case he's too quiet for anyone to notice but he doesn't even bother looking at me at all. Instead, he stays in his seat and reads his whatever novel he's reading that day or look out the window staring at the sky. He doesn't even try to look to me! I can't help but wonder _why_ I'm so into him even when he doesn't pay attention to me at all.

"Luka," IA bends down and stares at me with her cute puppy eyes, "can I have a bite of that melon bread your holding?"

"You know you can buy one at the snack bar," says Luna, not bothering to look up from looking at her freshly painted black nails. "It's not far away."

"You're always oversleeping and late." Lily teased, pinching IA's pale cheeks.

"My favorite variety show's time slot got changed at the last minute! I can't bear to miss the new episode!" IA pouted.

"Here," I said, handing her my uneaten bread. "Take it all."

"Really? Thanks Luka!" giving my bread was all it took to make IA's tired face turn into a happy grin as she started eating in small bites of the soft bread.

"Aren't you hungry?" Miku asked.

IA frowned. "Are you? We can share-"

I replied a small "No," and brushed my hand against her peach-colored hair.

"All right, all right. Get to your seats!" Sakine-sensei entered the room with a stack of papers in hand. "Everyone has an assigned seat so don't lie to me saying you don't have one." She snapped.

Judging by her tone, it seems like Meiko spent all night grading our papers.

Everyone scattered to their seats while IA took her time since her seat is the closest one to mine. The seating arrangement is really simple. Our class doesn't have many students so we sit in rows ranging from four to five. Lily and Luna and the other troublemakers sit in the front row as the rest of the "good" students sit behind them.

IA and I sit somewhere in the middle with me being on farthest left side in Sakine-sensei's view. IA sits in the seat next to me on my left. The rows go in five until you reach the back which is the only row of four. At the very last row in Sakine-sensei's view, Miku sits on the far right corner near the window. Kaito sits next to Miku. Our class clown, Gakupo Kamui, sits next to him and then Aoki Lapis sits next to Gakupo.

The guy I like sits a few rows behind. We sit far enough that we can't communicate in secret unless we secretly text but we can't since I don't have his number. He doesn't even try to talk or at me because he's too busy looking at a certain teal haired girl everyday. Whenever I turn around pretending to grab something out of my backpack hanging on the back of my chair, I always see him staring at Miku.

Yes, that's right. The guy I like isn't interested in me because he's interested in my best friend. That hurts. It really hurts.

"All right, everyone's here so there's no need to do the attendance in a hurry." Sakine-sensei clapped her hands in delight. "Oh yeah, I also have good news. Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted.

"Well, in short- no, I'll start from the very beginning." Meiko giggled and grabbed her favorite wooden meter stick from her desk. "I teach you guys everyday for five hours a day like any normal teacher would. Remember that English test you took yesterday?"

The class was silent as they scratched their head, trying to regain their lost memories.

"It turns out, you guys did pretty good. Some did well while the others-" Meiko made a thumbs down with her left hand. "-went total downfall. Some of you barely passed. You're gonna have to brush up on your English skills 'cos colleges dig 'em."

"Who failed?" Cul, short for Culnoza, played with her hair as she smirked. Meiko shot her a heated glare and looked away.

"There's only one person who aced this test like a boss," she grinned. "Luka darling, as usual, you've done a nice job."

Everyone grinned and clapped as IA grabbed my arm and smiled happily. I smiled back and tried to hold in my embarrassment of standing out too much.

"As I call your name, come up and get your test back from me. I already graded it and put it on my grade book. While I do that, I want you to get out your math book and start doing all the problems for today. Okay, let me see... Ring, come up and take your test."

Let me tell you something about my teacher. Meiko Sakine doesn't want us to call her formally. In other words, she doesn't like it when students call her "Sensei" since it makes her feel old and she can't do anything about it. I think she blames it on the explorer Juan Ponce de León for not being able to find the "Fountain of Youth."

"SeeU," Meiko called the Korean transfer student's name and smiled like a mother would to her children. She waited for the short girl who took her time coming up and patted her head. "Good job. You did well. Do you feel like you're fitting in with the rest of the kids?"

"Yes~" SeeU nodded happily. "I'm getting along with Gumi-chan and Yukari-chan!"

"That's great to know!" Sense- I mean, Meiko grinned and hugged the small Korean.

In Crypton High, Meiko's considered one of the coolest teachers out of the whole staff. She's nice and fun. The only downside is that we barely learn anything in her class. I know she said she teaches her students five hours everyday but she doesn't really teach well. She just tells us what to do and after that, she goes to play solitaire on her computer. But overall, it's sort of surprising no one fails her class.

"Kaito, another F?"

Ummm... okay, never mind what I just said. Add in "almost" before impossible to make it _almost_ impossible. All you need to do is study hard and- wait, Kaito failed the test?

"Kaito, you're doing well in all the other subjects but you're failing miserably in English. Is there something you don't understand? Something I'm doing that I should fix?" Meiko asked worriedly. Luckily, the rest of the class was too busy chatting and doing their work to pay any attention to their conversation. Everyone but me.

"No-" I couldn't hear what he said after because Miku chose exactly that moment to bring all her stuff and come over to do our assignment together. I scooted over so we could share my seat.

"Luka~ do you get this problem?" Miku pouted.

"Huh?" I blurted.

"This one~" Miku circled a math problem on her book with her leek shaped pen. I looked over and saw the question. The problem shouldn't even be a problem. It's a basic algebra question we learned years ago.

I sighed. "I helped you on this a lot three years ago."

"What problem?" IA asked.

"The substitution and elimination method."

"That's easy." IA grinned. "All you do is substitute and eliminate the equations!"

"Luka!" Meiko called me name and I stood up, waiting for Miku to stand up and move a side so I could get through. Once I came up to sensei, she grinned at me proudly and handed me back my test. It had a big fat 100% drawn by a bright red marker and a picture of a smiling flower underneath it. "You must've studied super hard. Great job!"

"Thank you." I grinned sheepishly and turned to go back until Meiko called my name again.

"Luka, come back!"

"Yes?" like a baby cub coming to mommy bear, I slowly came back thinking Meiko was going to give me either Miku's or IA's paper to hand back on my way and save traffic in the process.

"Luka darling, can you do me a huge favor?" Meiko asked.

"Like what?" I raised my eye-brow. If Meiko was going to ask me to do chores for her or something and think I will accept, she asked the wrong girl.

"How do you feel about tutoring?"

Tutoring...?

"Tutoring? I didn't really think about it. Why?"

She gave me a desperate look like her life depended on it. "Do you think you can tutor someone if you have time?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Kaito!" Meiko-sensei shouted his name and waved at him to come up.

Kaito?

"Luka," she grabbed my shoulders and tightly gripped them. "I don't want Kaito failing my class. I'm worried about him and his... his... English skills. Can you somehow help him boost it up?"

"Me?"

"Come on, don't look at me like I'm stupid! Yes, you! You're the only one I know who can speak English fluently. You're the best student I've ever had!"

"But-"

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" she pouted.

"But... what do I... teach him?"

Meiko brightened up and grinned. "I knew I could count on you! It's really simple. All you do is teach him the basics and what we learned in class until he fully gets it. I'm allowing him to retake the test in a week so you have four school days to make it happen."

"I'm not-"

"Sure." I heard a deep voice say behind me. I turned around in utter shock to find Kaito standing behind me. I thought he was going to look through me like I'm invisible or something but he wasn't. He was looking at me straight in the eyes with his crystal blue eyes, almost the same color as mine but darker.

"Excellent!" Meiko shouted and jumped around like a little girl. "You start tomorrow after school in this class. Everyday for however many number of hours you guys need!"

"See you later." Kaito patted my head and started going back to his seat.

I cannot believe this is happening.

* * *

**[Thursday]**

After school in the classroom all by ourselves is actually kind of strange.

I laughed nervously like an idiot. "So... where should we start?"

"Anywhere." Kaito responded, looking at his copy of the English textbook on top of his desk.

"It feels kind of... awkward."

He nodded as a reply.

I only agreed to tutor him because I thought Meiko was going to _be_ in the classroom _with_ us. It turned out to be a no because Meiko said she was going to go on a little shopping spree and buy a outfit she said she wanted to buy for a long time. At the end of class when everyone left the room, Kaito and I were the only ones who stayed behind to do our little tutoring lesson. I haven't told Lily and Luna about tutoring but I did tell IA and Miku. They were fine with it but at the beginning, it took them a while to figure out who Kaito was. Unsurprisingly, Miku didn't _know_ Kaito. She sits next to him but she didn't know him at all. Wow.

"Let's start with the basics." I started. Kaito nodded so I decided to continue. "English isn't as hard as you think it is. You just need to learn the basics and you'll be all set. Look at this problem here," I said, pointing to a question on his test Meiko handed me. "You got this problem wrong because you placed the noun and the verb in the wrong places. The noun and verb are two different meanings. A noun refers to a person, place, thing, or an idea while the verb shows action or state of being and tells the time of that action."

"Okay," he said, scratching his head.

I pulled Miku's chair and sat across his desk from him. "That's not all. There's also a thing called pronoun. Basically, it takes place of a noun."

"I don't... know?"

I squirmed in my seat. This is going to be harder than I thought. "Okay then, let's do some examples. Noun can be anything. Any human, thing, place, and so on. I'll choose myself as an example. A verb is saying the action of a sentence so I can say: Luka will go to the shopping mall tomorrow. I put "will" because I'm going tomorrow, not today. Are you getting all this?"

"Kind of," he replied.

"Here," I pointed to a problem on his English textbook for him to figure out. "Try doing all of these. We can go over your mistakes when you finish."

Kaito nodded and obeyed my orders. I watched him write his answers one by one. His messy handwriting filling in from top to bottom. My eyes wandered to his pale right hand and slowly started going up until I reached his shoulder, his neck, his cheek, his nose and lastly, his lips. I noticed how he bites his bottom lip whenever he's stuck on a problem. It was kind of cute looking at him do that. I wonder... if I put my lips on his, would they be... soft?

"Luka?" Kaito looked up to look at my eyes looking innocent. I jerked back in surprise and accidentally knocked down his test sheet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, totally. I'm fine." I lied, reaching to grab his test. I handed him back his test and gathered my stuff in a hurry. "I'll look at it tomorrow. I need to go somewhere." Before he could respond, I walked out in a hurry trying to pace myself.

I'm so stupid.

He doesn't like me. He'll never like me back because he likes Miku, my best friend.

* * *

**[Friday]**

"How long are you going to tutor him?" Miku pouted as we walked down the school hallway. It was after school but Miku forced me to go with her to get a little snack together before my tutoring started.

I laughed. "You mean Kaito?"

"Kaito, Kaiko, Kiko, whatever! He's taking too much of your time! I want to go shopping with you! I want us to do sleepovers on school nights like we normally do!"

"You have Lily and the others, remember?" I reminded her.

"Yeah, but they're not you. I want you!" she gobbled on her chocolate bar while talking to me. "I hung around with Lily and Luna yesterday. You know how they're always together, right? They have their own special friendship. I felt so left out!"

"IA?"

"She's okay, I guess. But I like you better."

"You can try hanging out with SeeU and Gumi. They're always happy and hyper."

"Gumi's weird. SeeU can't speak Japanese well and I don't know any Korean."

"She speaks well enough to communicate with others."

"I don't know!" Miku frowned and tugged on my sleeve. "We. Need. To. Hang. Out. Together. This. Weekend!"

"Maybe."

"How about tomorrow? We can watch the new _Kokoro_ movie tomorrow! The Kagamine twins are in it! IA gave me two tickets for free!"

"Maybe," I teased.

Miku grinned. "You better go or I'll kick your ass."

"Ouch. Harsh words." I chuckled and waved goodbye to Miku as we approached our classroom. The trip to the snack bar took longer than I expected. It was ten minutes past after school and I thought Kaito left thinking I left early but when I came back, he was in his assigned seat with all his materials. His test on the upper left corner of his desk and his English textbook was opened to the page we worked on yesterday.

"Sorry I'm late!" I rushed over to him.

"It's alright," he muttered. "I just came too."

I laughed. "Uh huh. You just came but all of your stuff are already out."

"It can happen."

"You already have your textbook flipped to the right page."

Kaito frowned. "I happened to be lucky on my first try."

"Fine, fine." I grinned. "But that doesn't mean I'm giving up."

He snickered. "Fine by me."

"Here," I said, giving him a packet full of English words out of my folder. "Study them while I grade your worksheet from yesterday."

We switched packets and surprisingly, he did alright. Better than I thought, but not good enough. I figured out his other weakness which was spelling. Who spells "fountain" as "foundane"? "Sauce" as "soce"? I couldn't help but laugh when I read them which was really rude of me. No one can be perfect after all.

"That's not nice." Kaito whispered. "Everyone makes mistakes."

Ouch. He caught me. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Even though I apologized, my laugh still didn't go away. I can't believe I'm laughing like this in front of him! When I calmed myself down, I handed him back his book and told him to read aloud the words to me. It's funny how everyone makes funny accents when they speak a new language. It proves how imperfect we human beings are.

"Bilingual," he read slowly.

"Okay."

"Special."

I nodded.

"Astonish."

"Nice."

"Knowledge."

I nodded again.

"Cat... pil... er?"

"What?" I sat up on my seat to read what was on the paper. "Which one?"

"This one." he said, pointing at the word he stopped.

"Caterpillar." I said slowly. "Cat-er-pil-lar."

"Cater... piar," he tried.

"No," I shook my head. "look at me. Caterpillar."

"Cat..."

"My lips. Look at my lips, okay?" I pointed to my mouth. "Cat-er-pil-lar."

"Cater... piller."

"Almost. Look closer," I said, leaning close to him bit by bit. "Caterpillar."

"Luka? Luka," he breathed.

"Huh?"

"You're too close," he whispered.

I was confused at first until I realized what he was trying to say. Instead of leaning a little close to him, I ended up standing and leaning closer to him while he leaned back on his chair.

It was really embarrassing.

"I... I'm sorry." I blushed. I sat back down and we continued working. It's hard to concentrate when the guy you like keeps staring at you.

* * *

**[Saturday]**

"It... IT WAS SO SAD!" cried Miku.

I sighed and handed her a napkin from my purse. "It was sad." I agreed.

"Why... w-why did h-h-he d-die?"

I sighed. "It's just a movie. And the robot passed away too."

"B-b-but the h-hot g-guy d-d-died!" Miku swatted my arm. "I wa-wanted h-him to l-l-live!"

I sighed again. "Miku, you love Len too much."

"N-not o-only m-me. You like him t-too Luka!"

Truthfully, yes. I loved Len a few years back. I used to be his fangirl along with Miku. I still am but I'm not _that_ into him now as I was before.

"Luka, I'm hungry." Miku whined. "I'm so hungry that I could eat a lion!"

"We can go home and-"

"No, I wanna eat there!" she cried, pointing to a little cafe across the street.

Without a word, Miku pulled me all the way to the cafe and I couldn't use my veto power. For a girl who whines a lot, she's also very strong. We reached the cafe in less than a minute and like a psycho, Miku slammed the door open. Everyone inside stared at us like we were crazy but Miku didn't care at all. She just wanted her food. Whenever Miku wants something, she gets it. That's how it goes for her. We ordered two slices of cheesecakes and went to go find a seat until we caught sight of someone. That someone was the one and only Gakupo.

Gakupo Kamui is in our class and all I can say is that he's your typical dumb jock: a big guy who shows of his calves and an outfit that always showed off at least one sports logo. He was waving at us happily to join him but Miku shot him one of her mean looks- eyes squinted into tiny slits, lips pursed, a look of complete utter disgust. Anyone would've known Miku didn't like him but Gakupo didn't care and looked right through her. He started waving at us to join.

"Come on." I whispered in her hear and held her wrist. "He already saw us and we already saw him. Let's eat our cake and leave as soon as possible."

"I want to go home," she whispered. I know Miku didn't want to but she did it anyway. As we approached closer, I saw something really surprsing. Gakupo wasn't alone. He was here with someone. Someone I know very well. His tone body covered someone sitting next to him but as we walked closer, I caught sight of someone with short blue hair sitting next to him not looking up. Since when were Kaito and Gakupo friends?

"Hello ladies." Gakupo grinned, looking at us one at a time.

We sat down across from him but I wasn't looking at Gakupo. I was looking at Kaito. Kaito didn't even bother looking up from his cup of water.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, still looking at the blue haired boy.

"Looking for hotties." Gakupo answered without a second thought.

That... that was kind of expected of him. Besides me, Miku let out a groan.

"Hey Luka, wanna go out with me after?" Gakupo grinned. "You look hot today."

"I'm going home." I replied, not caring that there wasn't a hint of emotion in my voice.

"Awww~ don't be like that!"

"I went to watch a movie with Miku earlier." I said. "I'm tired."

The lady came over with our cheesecakes but Gakupo didn't bother to stop talking and let me eat. I heard a little rustle and found Kaito and Miku going somewhere to talk in private.

"Where are they going?" I asked.

Gakupo shrugged and grinned at me. "Who cares? Hey, are you going to share that with me?"

I hate to admit it but I felt jealous.

I really did.

* * *

**[Sunday]**

I don't know why Miku keeps bothering me. Ever since yesterday, she kept talking to me about Kaito. When we finally parted ways to go home, she started texting me about Kaito again. Kaito this, Kaito that. She finally realized him as a human being.

Does she like him?

I think so.

But she can't because I like him.

But she doesn't _know_ I like him so she _can_ tell him.

I could've told her _I_ like him but now I can't because _she_ likes him. She's my best friend but I like him as much as I like her.

Miku texted me again today. It's all about Kaito. I was going to reply to her somehow but decided not to when she sent me this message:

**From: Miku H.  
****To: Luka M.  
****Subject: Kaito**

**Message: Do you think he's cute? I never really noticed him before but now that I see him up close, he's actually really cute! Luka-chan what do you think about him? Do you think he's a good person to date? Any girl would be lucky to have him as their own boyfriend! I wonder if he likes anyone...**

What can I say to her? _Back off, he's mine_? No way. I put my phone on silent and slept the whole day thinking about Kaito and Miku. Maybe even shed a few tears here and there. If they started dating, what would I be left with?

Around midnight, I checked my phone again. I wonder how much the phone bill will be this month...

* * *

**[Monday]**

"Why didn't you reply?" Miku pouted the second she saw me.

I wish IA came to school early.

"Reply what?" Lily questioned.

"A secret?" Luna grinned.

Miku shot them one of her deadly glare but they just laughed. Lily and Luna decided to head back to class instead of standing around in the cold. That made me be alone with Miku while IA took her time coming.

"What do you think of him?" the teal haired girl asked.

"Who? Kaito?" I asked stupidly.

Miku rolled her eyes. "Duh."

"He's... okay."

"And?"

"And... nice?"

"What else?"

"He's a great person." I muttered.

"Anything else?" she pouted.

"Nothing." I lied.

"Do you feel a spark or anything around him?" she asked.

"How should I know?" Yes, my heart beats a gazillion times whenever I'm around him.

"I wonder why girls don't like him..."

"They must like someone else." Because he digs his nose into a book so people don't really see him.

"Luka," Miku turned to look at me. "do you like him?"

Thank god IA finally came.

**( ゜∀゜)彡**

By the time we came into the classroom, Meiko was scolding Lily and Luna for pulling a prank on someone. Class started so we hurried to our seats.

"Luka..." IA looked at me pleadingly.

"Hm?"

"Can I borrow a pen? I lost mine."

How typical of her... "Sure." I smiled and turned around from my seat to open my backpack. I glanced up a little to see Kaito looking at Miku as usual. About a second later, he looked startled and looked back at his worksheet we were supposed to be filling out. The reason why he was scared was because Miku was looking at him back.

"Luka?"

"Oh, sorry." I handed IA a random pen and started doing my work. It didn't help when the scene I just witnessed kept replaying in my head.

**(´・ω・`)**

"I don't normally go there." Kaito blurted.

_Wh-what?_ "Oh... okay?"

"I mean," he shifted in his seat. "I only went "girl-hunting" because Gakupo forced me to go."

"To be honest, I never knew you two were friends." I sat down across from him.

"We went to the same elementary school. We're pretty close."

It was silent for a long time until he finally broke the silence.

"Luka, I thought of something."

"What?"

"I thought of a game we can play."

"Is it related to English?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Sounds fun." I said. "What is it?"

"Well, I ask you a question. If I can say it perfectly with no grammar mistakes, you have to answer my question. If I get it wrong, you don't have to answer."

"I don't get to ask?" I teased.

He shifted for a second. "If you want-"

"Just kidding! I think that sounds great. It can help you with your English _and_ it sounds fun to play."

"Okay," he nodded in approval. "Let's start."

"But," I looked at him in the eye, "be careful, I'm only allowing you to ask ten questions. You need to think and choose wisely, okay?"

He nodded.

"So... shoot." I leaned back on my seat.

"What... is your name?"

"Luka Megurine." I answered right on beat.

"What is your favorite food?"

Tuna and sushi."

"What if your favorite hobby?"

"Singing, shopping, dancing, and so on."

"Singing?" he raised an eyebrow. "Can you sing for me?"

I blushed. "Of course not!"

"You promised," he reminded me.

"N-not those kinds of questions!" I stuttered.

"Just a little?" he pleaded.

I sighed. "Fine... don't laugh, alright?"

Kaito nodded and crossed his heart. "Promise," he swore.

"You... really promise?"

He nodded sincerely.

"Fine." I took a deep breath and closes my eyes, tapping my foot to the beat one by one. When I felt it was time, I started singing.

_Shota Shota Fire Endless Night_

_Soshite motto motto atsuku nare Fever!_

_Shota Shota Fire Endless Night_

_Kanjiru "ima" ga shinjitsu_

_Towa ni tokenai mahou de dare yori fukaku kimi wo_

_Aishite ageru._

I finished but there was no response. This song... it was made for a cute-like voice like Miku's. We love this song and always sing it together but I've always felt jealousy towards Miku and her cute voice. Mine is the opposite of hers. Mine wasn't cute. Instead, it was deep and husky; perfect for jazz-like songs. Maybe I'm not-

"I like it," said Kaito, looking at me in the eye. "Your voice. I've always liked it."

I blushed. "You like my voice?" _He likes my voice!_

He nodded. "You should sing for me more next time."

I nodded. "O-okay."

"Can you-"

"Moving on!" I shouted.

I hated how I sounded rude just now. But... he laughed. Kaito laughed and moved on like I told him to.

"Who in family?"

"Wrong. It should be "Who's in your family?""

"Ah, so you're not answering?" he grinned at me.

I shook my head. "It's an easy question so I'll answer. I was raised by my parents and have an older brother in college."

"What do they do?"

"My parents? They work at a salon."

"That explains why you have pretty hair," he commented.

"M-moving on." I stuttered.

"Who is your best friend?"

No... not this one. "Miku Hatsune." I say softly.

"She... what kind is she?"

"You messed up." I answered. "I don't want to say."

"Why?"

"Because..." _I'm afraid you like her..._ "I don't want to."

"Did she tell you something?"

"Tell me what?"

"Anything," he's not speaking English anymore.

She keeps talking about you because she likes you back. "No." I say.

Kaito sighed and leaned back on his seat. "One more question?"

I nodded.

He looks around first before questioning me. "Do you... like me?" he asks.

_I do._ "I... can't answer." I lied. "Something else."

He shook his head. "You promised."

"Not this one."

"You sang for me."

"I'll let you ask me an another question."

"No."

"Tell me."

"…No."

He leaned forward looking at me cautiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." I lied. Miku must be so happy for me.

He stood up from his seat and sighed. "Let's stop here for today."

I couldn't agree more.

* * *

**[Tuesday]**

Miku looked upset when she saw me. I didn't know why and put on my fake smile. We went to class without IA and the others because Miku wanted to talk to me in private. When we finally approached the back of the school building, she faced me looking _very_ upset. She must've gotten a bad grade on something.

"Luka."

"Hm?"

"I can't believe you."

…Maybe not.

"Why?"

"What did Kaito tell you yesterday?"

I can't do this anymore... "What about him?"

"What did you tell him yesterday?"

"He said he liked me."

"And?"

"I told him I didn't."

"WHY?" she said this so loud that I thought my ears would burst.

"Because..." I looked down at the ground. "You like him."

She looked dumbfounded. "What?"

"You like him."

Miku swore. She huffed and puffed but in the end, she let it all out. "I tried helping you guys out. You're really stupid."

Before I had a chance to ask why, the bell rung.

I guess she's right.

I'm stupid.

But how?

**(｡◕‿◕｡)**

I lied saying I wanted to end tutoring early today. He agreed and I filled out a few papers that would help him with the test tomorrow. To be honest, I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him I like him but I couldn't. He has a test tomorrow he needs to study for. I wished him good luck and he left. I didn't leave after he did. Instead, I sat in his desk for a few minutes and looked over at my desk. When Meiko-sensei came in asking what I was doing, I grabbed my stuff and went out the door.

* * *

**[Wednesday]**

He's taking the test right now.

I'm waiting outside the classroom door waiting for him. School ended and I was standing out in the hallway like an idiot waiting for him. He probably didn't know I was standing out here. A few minutes later, the door slid open and he looked surprised to see me.

"How... did you do?" I asked.

"I passed," he simply responded.

"Oh, well, good job." I muttered.

He nodded.

"So," I faked a smile at him. "Goodbye?"

"Already?" he asked.

I nodded. "I don't have to tutor you anymore. Meiko told me you're a smart student. If you study hard then you'll pass English easily."

I turned to leave but he grabbed my arm tightly and turned me back to face him.

"Kai-"

"We're not done," he said sternly.

_Done? Done with what?_

"We're not done with the game," he said in a strong voice. His voice was so hard that it scared me. It surprised me that he can talk like that. He's not the calm Kaito I knew, he's the new version of Kaito. A better and cooler version I never knew and saw.

"You asked all twenty questions. The game's over." I whispered.

He shook his head. "You gave me one extra chance. I have to ask one more question. One more and it's over."

I sighed. "Ask me."

"Before I ask, I have to tell you something."

Oh no.

"There's a girl I like. But... I was too shy to tell her my true feelings."

_I like you._

"If I ask her out, do you think she'll accept me?" he asked.

"Kaito," my voice shook. It hurts to tell him the truth. "Of course she will." I felt his hands loosen. "Miku likes you back. Of course she'll accept you." I felt his grip tighten on my arm. It hurt. It hurt so much. Why is he doing this to me?

"Luka," he pulled away, breathing slowly as he looked at the ground. "I like..."

Miku.

"You."

I looked at him in the eye. Surprisingly, he was looking at me in the eyes too. I didn't believe him. He likes... me? "You like me?" I whispered. Without a reply, he grabbed my hand and dragged me into the classroom. Meiko saw us and looked at us confused. After all, it was the end of school and the test was over. Why were two students still at school when they could be partying?

"Kids, school's-"

"We know." I replied. He dragged me to the back of the class and sat me down on his seat. I was completely confused why I was in his seat. He told me to stay and walked over to my seat and sat down.

"Look," he called to me. "Look to your left. What do you see?"

I was confused at first but did it anyway. I looked to my left and saw Miku's desk. It took me a while until I looked up a little and saw the window. The sky was almost starting to turn dark but I saw it. There was a reflection of someone on the window. A reflection of a blue haired boy looking directly at... me.

"Do you see it?" he asked.

I nodded.

Kaito wasn't looking at Miku. He was looking at me. When I wasn't looking at him, he was looking at my side and watching me do whatever I was doing. He... cared about me...

Kaito stood up and slowly came over nervously. I never noticed he tapped his foot to the ground whenever he was nervous. "There's one question I left I haven't gotten the chance to ask you. Do you want to know?"

I laughed. "Go ahead."

"Will... will you go to date with me?"

At the front, I heard Meiko smile and giggle at the mistake he made but I didn't care.

"Will you go out with me?" he tried again.

I smiled. "Yes," I replied and hugged him.

* * *

**A/N: **Luka was singing _Shota Shota Fire Endless Night _originally sung by Len Kagamine. The composer of this song is Nichrome-P.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now I'll have to train myself to write 2012 instead 2011 on my school papers.


	10. January 15

**January 15  
Genre: **Mystery/Romance/Tragedy  
**Summary: **I don't know how to think of you anymore. Is our relationship void? I feel like Gakupo knows me more than you. Am I wrong? Yes? No? How will you prove me wrong? How will you prove that you love me?

* * *

**January 15**

During our first meeting, you told me, "Tell me a story of your life."

.

.

.

.

.

I can start the story as far as I possibly could, but I'll start on one certain day.

It all started the day Gakupo transferred to our school.

That morning, I did my daily routine. I wake up every morning to get ready for school. Kaito meets me in front of my house early in the morning as I go out and walk to school with him with our arms locked. We are a typical couple. A regular boyfriend and girlfriend you see everywhere around you.

We always take the same route. I've taken the same route to school every day that I know everyone I pass by. For instance, there's an old couple who owns a bakery shop nearby and always gives us freshly baked cupcakes every time we pass. There's the man standing next to the crosswalk light not moving even when the light turns into a white light, a man who always carries out loads of ingredients from his car for his sushi shop, a bird walking around in broad daylight hunting for food, and many more. Every day I see the same buildings as we pass by. I pass two worn out grocery stores, a gas station, pastry shops, various occupational buildings, and a field where a bank will soon open after it gets constructed.

At school, we had a new student enrolled in our class. It was the day Hiyama-sensei introduced Gakupo Kamui to the class. The first time we made eye contact, I remember my heart did a double flip. Just by looking at the new transfer student, I knew we would have a good chemistry. Maybe… maybe it'll be something more than that.

Gakupo ended up sitting behind me. I silently wished he would switch seats with Kaito who sat on the other side of the class. I noticed Gakupo and Kaito shared the same similarity, but there's also many differences. Gakupo wasn't shy or active. He's somewhere between those two levels which I like about him. It makes him seem more interesting in my opinion. Not to mention, he's always nice to females and even males. Gakupo is a well mannered gentleman. Anyone liked him. I liked him so much that I invited him to join me for lunch on the rooftop with Kaito during lunchtime. He accepted without hesitation so the three of us went up there at the rooftop during lunch break. Kaito didn't seem to be too happy having someone join us.

"Ah," Kaito looked disbelieved and dropped his bag when he realized something. "I forgot my lunch at home."

"Really?" Automatically, I pushed my lunch next to him. "Here, we can share."

"Thanks," he replied, quickly taking a bite of a sausage with his fingers. He chewed while telling me, "If only I could go back in time and remind myself..."

"Impossible," replied Gakupo, not missing a beat.

I noticed Kaito shot Gakupo an evil look so I started asking Gakupo questions for him I've been silently thinking about since we first met. He smiled and started telling us stories of his other school. I found out Gakupo and I shared many of the same interests and likings. Probably more than Kaito. It wasn't until the end of lunch when I saw Kaito standing up with an uneasy look. Gakupo didn't seem to notice it and, being a gentleman, opened the door for me and let be go first. Kaito didn't say anything on the way back.

After school, we took our usual route home. I laughed when Kaito talked about how his brothers tortured him every day and I told him how my brother, Luki, did the same to me when we were little until he got accepted to his dream college. We passed the usual buildings and people on our way home. We even stood next to the man who didn't cross the road when the crosswalk light changed colors for a few minutes until the light turned white.

I remember standing between Kaito and the stranger as their shoulders made contact with mine as we stood waiting. Both of their shoulders felt warm against mine.

* * *

The next morning, everything was the same as yesterday, as well as the days before that. The only thing that changed was the fact that everyone was a day older than yesterday. Kaito had school clean up duty for the rest of the week so I had to go to school by myself.

On my way, I stood next to the man standing by the crosswalk light. He stands there all day without any movement. Now that I think about it, I've never looked closely at him even though I saw him every day. He always had on a top hat and wore a big black trench coat every single day. The light seemed to take forever to change and I had a lot of time so I decided to have a small talk with him.

"Hello." I greeted.

The tall man didn't seem to notice I was talking to him until he felt the awkward silence filled around us. He looked at me before bowing a small bow. I thought that was his way of greeting someone so I bowed back.

"I can't believe we've never talked before. I see you standing here every day when I pass by."

"Yes," he responded.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do here all day?"

The man didn't answer me. He had his eyes gazed to the area around him as I patiently waited for his reply. He never replied.

"Are you… meeting someone?"

No matter how long I waited, the man didn't reply to any of my questions. I thought he wanted to be left alone so I stopped talking to him.

I did everything I could to kill time. I checked my phone for any text messages in case Kaito secretly texted me, but there wasn't any. There was only one from Gakupo telling me good morning. I smiled and replied saying I did and hoped he did too. Eventually, the light turned white and I crossed the path, leaving the man by himself.

* * *

I got a chance to talk to Kaito before school started. He was in the gym mopping the floor.

"Kaito!" I waved at him after seeing him cleaning the floor with a mop. I ran over to him and felt his soft lips kiss my cheek as I giggled and sat down on a bleacher beside him. "Guess what? Guess what?"

"Someone sounds really happy today." He chuckled. "All right, what is it?"

I grinned and told him the news. "I talked to the mystery man today!"

I half expected him to smile back, or laugh thinking I was weird in a cute way but he didn't do any of those.

"Who?" He asked.

"The guy next to the crosswalk light," I answered. "The guy we pass by everyday."

He held the mop on one hand and the other slammed down on the bleacher I sat at. I shivered from the vibration his hand made after making contact with the wooden chair. Slowly, I looked up and saw him not smiling at me. Kaito didn't have a touch of happiness in his face. Judging from his expression, he was mad. Kaito was really mad.

"Kaito?" I asked, slowly standing up.

When I finally stood up, he dropped the stick and held my shoulders with both hands. "What were you _thinking_?" he wanted to know. "What was going on in your head when you started talking to him?"

"What are you talking about? All I did was say hi to him. A simple hello can't hurt anyone."

"Luka," his eyes gazed into mine and every word he spoke to me, he sounded disappointed. "Nothing happened to you, right?"

I shook my head.

He let out a tired sigh and sat down on the bleacher where I sat. When I sat next to him, he said, "Listen, Luka, you don't know what might happen to you. Don't talk to that guy again. You might-"

"I think he's a good person."

"Luka-"

"How do you know he's a bad guy?" I questioned. "I was trying to be judicious and talked to him! He's a nice human being!"

"I never said he was an alien, I just told you to watch out-"

"Why are you talking like you can't trust me?" I shouted in disbelief as I stood up. "I can't believe you!"

Kaito called my name as I stood up and headed for the classroom, but I didn't reply to him. I was mad. Kaito thought I couldn't stand up for myself.

* * *

Gakupo was already in the classroom when I stepped in. He put down a book he was reading and frowned when he saw my scowl.

"What happened?" he asked.

I shook my head, not wanting to answer.

"It's not good to keep your feelings to yourself. I might be able to help if-"

"Alright," I sighed. I told him everything that happened this morning. Starting from how I talked to the crosswalk man this morning, to the little argument I had with Kaito when I came to school. Gakupo listened to me the whole time without cutting me off even once. He nodded and pretended to jot down notes on his notebook paper as if he was a professional. I laughed whenever he did that. I wished Kaito was a patient person like Gakupo.

"I think Kaito was worried about your safety," Gakupo concluded when I finished. "Guys can be like that to girls they like."

I laughed when he said that.

"What?" He leaned back on his chair. "It's true. Some guys are like that."

"Maybe you're right. Or maybe he was tired of cleaning."

Gakupo shrugged. "I don't know."

"Perhaps you're right."

"Luka," he said, sitting straight in his chair again. "About that man, Kaito sounds right. He sounds kind of suspicious. When you were telling me about him, I kept thinking he sounded like a…"

"Mysterious person?"

"No," he shook his head, "more like a creeper. Just make sure there's distance between the two of you when you stand next to him."

Gakupo knew how to make my day. He even went out and bought me a strawberry milk to cheer me up. He got me that milk even though I never told him strawberry was my favorite flavor.

Kaito came into the class just when the school bell rang. I got to see a peek of him looking at us with an expression I couldn't describe and go to his seat. Hiyama-sensei came in the class and class started. The rest of the day was the same except we started a new lesson in math.

* * *

Kaito had cleanup duty after school. That meant I had to walk home by myself.

I took small steps home so I was walking slower than usual. By the time I reached the crosswalk, the light was red so I had to wait until it turned white so I could cross the road. Same as every day, the man was standing next to the sidewalk staring at the cars passing by. I tried not to look at him by looking at my other side pretending to look really interested at the construction workers carrying loads of bricks to one side of the wall to work on it. I was in the middle of reading a news article from my phone when I thought the crosswalk light changed colors and started to walk without looking up. Unfortunately, it was my mistake. The lights didn't change.

"Luka!" I heard someone shout my name at the same time someone grabbed my arm to hold me steady. Shivering, I looked beside me and saw the man with his hand grabbing onto mine.

This was the first time I got to see his face up close.

His hat covered most of his head making it impossible for anyone to guess the exact color of his hair or even guess if he had any hair at all. His face looked like any other person. It was filled with wrinkles due to age but other than that, he looked fine. He's skinny and he might not have the best figure but his blue eyes could mesmerize anyone who gazed into it. His main attraction is his eyes.

"How… how did you know my name?" I questioned him, taking a step back for safety reasons.

The man took a step back and replied, "I heard your boyfriend call you by your name."

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"No, I happened to hear your name." he replied safely.

"I see," I nodded and thought for a while. "How did you know he's my boyfriend?"

The man didn't reply. He just stared at me with his blue eyes as I started to laugh. "Am I supposed to answer?" he asked.

"You don't have to," I replied. "What's your name?"

The man didn't respond to my question which started to get me annoyed. I couldn't help but think of this man as a mysterious man with a background I was curious to know.

"I think it's fair of you to tell me your name if you know mine." I said.

He didn't quickly respond. He stood frozen looking as if he was debating whether or not he should answer my simple question.

"Well?" I repeated. The man grimaced as I clicked my tongue.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked.

I clicked my tongue again. "It depends. What is it?"

"Tell me a story of your life."

I stood there frozen at what he said. Gakupo was right. This guy really is a creeper.

"My life?" I questioned, wondering if I heard him wrong. He nodded and presented me with a warm smile.

"Yes," he answered, "not all, but the most memorable time of your life. However, you must not tell anyone of my request. Only you must know of it."

"Why… why do you want to know about my life?"

"If it makes you feel uneasy, you don't have to tell _me_," he said. "However, you _must_ tell _me_. Choose wisely and do not rush. Now, will you accept my favor?"

"Why do I have to…" I stumbled on my words and debated what I should say. "If I don't tell _you_, but I need to tell _you_, how will I ever tell you my story?"

The old man beamed a bright smile I never thought he would ever do. If possible, his smile brightened the color of his eyes, making it glow from happiness. "I'll let you decide," he answered. "You must tell me everything. Do not leave one single detail out."

"What will you do for me if I do?"

"Then…" he viewed the sky thinking of a good answer. "I will tell you my name."

"…Okay, I accept." I grinned. "It's a deal. I think I can do it."

"You're a smart girl," he said. "You'll figure it out. You always did."

I didn't want him to tell me his name that easily; I wanted it to be a challenge. A challenge I would be able to use my brain to think. I wanted to tell my past to him.

The light turned white and I waved goodbye to the man before continuing my journey home. Everything about the man was mysterious to me. It made me wonder of his biography and the color of his eyes. He was the most mysterious person in the world I've ever met. The whole time, I thought of his simple request.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure it out.

* * *

The rest of the week didn't turn out so well.

I still couldn't figure out what to tell the old man.

Things with Kaito weren't exactly the way I wanted it to be. I don't know what happened to him but he started losing his temper one time when the three of us were eating our lunch on the rooftop. Everything was so crazy; I don't know where to start. I should've known something was wrong when Kaito didn't speak a word when Gakupo and I were talking about a movie that just came out.

"I heard _The Trash-Heap Princess and the Apostrophe_ is really popular amongst teens." Gakupo told me.

I nodded. I've been hearing about how it was exceeding the box office ever since it was released. "I want to go see it one day." I said.

"Then," Gakupo coughed, "do you want to go see it with me today after school?"

"Luka is busy today," a voice beside me took my place and answered. I turned around and saw Kaito next to me, looking at Gakupo with an intense glare that it sent shivers down my spine. "She's going to be with me today."

Miraculously, Gakupo didn't seem to be offended at all. "I thought you had cleanup duty. Well, then how about-"

"I've been dying to tell you this ever since you started hanging out with us," Kaito stood up and grabbed my arm to lift me up too. "I feel like you're getting too close to Luka. I'm fine with it but-"

I sent Kaito a pleading look. "Kaito-"

"Luka," Gakupo waved to stop me. Turing to Kaito, he said, "Go on."

"I want you to keep your distance from her." Kaito concluded.

I was shocked and horrified. I had no idea what Kaito was thinking or planning inside his cluttered mind. Without another word, I pulled him inside so we could talk in private.

"How could you say that to him?" I said, angrily. "He's our _friend_."

Kaito sighed. "Luka-"

"He did nothing wrong!"

"I know, I know."

"You knew? I don't think so. I don't think you knew anything at all!"

"Luka," he calmed me down by grabbing my shoulders. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me. I just… I feel like you've changed."

"I should be the one saying that to you!" I shouted, stomping my foot in anger.

Kaito looked at me in shock. "Me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes! You… you don't know me at all!"

"What do you mean? I've known you for _years_. I think I know-"

"You think? You're my _boyfriend_. I've known you since elementary school and I've known Gakupo since... this week."

"Five days to be exact." Gakupo corrected. We both turned to look at him in surprise.

"This isn't any of your business." Kaito growled.

Gakupo held his hands like he was caught by the police. "I'm just trying to bring peace here."

"Gakupo," I said, pointing to Gakupo, "is not my boyfriend. While you," I moved my finger to Kaito, jabbing his chest with my finger, "are. What I don't get is how come my own boyfriend knows nothing about me and Gakupo knows more than you?"

"Luka," Kaito signed, "you know that's not true-"

"I wish it wasn't true!" I shouted, feeling hot liquid appear in my eyes.

"Luka," Kaito whispered. I saw the look on his face as he slowly lifted his hand to wipe the tear away from my cheeks. Before he got a chance to do what he intended to do, I slapped his arm away in anger and stepped back, distancing myself from him and making me closer to Gakupo.

"We're boyfriend and girlfriend. You should know that by now."

"I've always-"

"No," I cut him off, "you don't. I bet you don't know what I like to do and think I like everything _you_ like. Why can't you be patient and listen to my story when I tell you something like Gakupo? I even tell Gakupo more stuff than you because I know he'll listen to me and help me when I need him!"

The look on Kaito's face answered everything. Kaito was frustrated. He felt guilty for making me cry. He makes that face when he doesn't know how to fix a problem. "I didn't know…" he whispered again. "I didn't know you were feeling like that."

"Learn from him!" I shouted. "Gakupo did better than you in everything. He was with me more than once when I needed someone. He even created a way to cheer me up! Were you there when I needed you? No. You were _never _there when I needed you the most. If you really loved me, you should've proven it to me. You've never _proved_ that you really love me."

"I'm… I'm sorry."

"Don't bother." I said it harsher than I intended it to sound. "It's too late. We're over."

"Luka!" Kaito grabbed my hand and gripped it hard. "You can't-"

"Why can't I?" I cut in. "Is it illegal for me to end our relationship?"

"No," he took a breath out. "I just-"

"How can I be in a relationship with you if I don't know if you really love me?"

"I do-"

"No," I stepped back again and linked arms with Gakupo. "We're leaving. Let's go."

I felt Gakupo shift his weight from one leg to another. "Are you-"

"Please," I pleaded a whisper only so he could hear. "I want to go back."

We slowly made our way back to class in silence. Kaito didn't follow us back and part of me felt glad he didn't. On our way, the bell rang and class started. We should've been in a hurry but we took our time getting back. Every now and then Gakupo would bend slightly to see if I was feeling fine and not thinking about jumping off the building or anything like that. He didn't say one word to me and I was thankful for that. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I just wanted someone to be next to me so I wouldn't be alone.

Gakupo opened the classroom door and in cue, everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing and looked to see us standing by the door. Mew-sensei put down her copy of a book the class was reading and stared at us in surprise. I knew what she was thinking. Mew-sensei always thought I was a "good girl." She would have never expected me to come to class late. Not everyone is a good student. Everyone needs a break here and there.

"So glad you could join." She said to us as we went to our seats in silence. "We're in the middle of reading _Nineteen Eighty-Four_. Take out your books and ask someone next to you for the page number."

"Page 202," IA, the girl sitting next to me whispered without me having to ask.

The whole time, I started to think about Winston and Julia's relationship.

* * *

The whole week was the same. I did everything I usually did without Kaito. I didn't need him. Gakupo replaced Kaito.

Kaito didn't talk to me at all.

Gakupo couldn't walk me to school in the morning since he lived on the other side of the city but he was nice enough to walk me home sometime. He stayed by my side when he thought I was feeling uneasy or sad. Everytime he thought I wasn't feeling well, he was right. I wasn't. The first time he walked me home, I described the infamous crosswalk man I told him about. Gakupo took one glance at him as we slowly started to approach him and the light. Without another word, he grabbed my arm and swinged me aside to switch sides with me so that he was standing next to the mystery man when we crossed the path. I thought it was something very nice of him to do. Kaito never did that. When I was with Kaito, I had to stand next to the mystery man a couple and times but Kaito didn't do anything about it. I realized I was stupid when I was with Kaito. I should've complained or do something about it.

Before the crosswalk light changed colors, I saw the old man on the other side staring at us as we were waiting for the light to change. I couldn't really see his expression that well, but I remember it was a different look. The man always had on a blank look on his face but this one was different. It was... dark. When we went to his side on the sidewalk, I felt him whisper something I couldn't make out.

* * *

One day, Gakupo told me something that really surprised me. He told me this before class started.

He said he talked to the mystery man.

When I asked for more detail, Gakupo said the mystery man talked to him first.

That really surprised me. What surprised me more was the fact that the old man said something to him. I wondered if it was the story favor but it wasn't. After taking me home, Gakupo had to wait at the crosswalk again. He had to wait next to the old man while waiting for the light to change. Everything was okay until the light changed its color. When Gakupo took a step forward to make his way to the other side, the old man said his name so only Gakupo could hear. When Gakupo turned around in shock, he told me that the mystery man smirked at him before he turned back.

At first, I didn't believe Gakupo but I soon did since Gakupo never lies. I couldn't imagine the old man smirking at anyone.

Gakupo was kind of worried about the fact that the mystery man knew his name.

"Maybe he heard me say your name when we were walking." I said.

"Maybe," he replied.

We decided that was the way how the old man knew of Gakupo's name. While Ann-sensei was teaching the class whenever it's okay to use adverbs in English, I suddenly thought of something. Whenever Gakupo walked me home, I never said his name. If I remember clearly, I never said his name specifically when we approached the old man. That meant the old man somehow found a way to figure it out without overhearing.

But how?

* * *

Kaito changed a lot.

Not a lot but there seemed to be many things different about him.

I passed him when I was on my way to the vending machine to buy a little snack. When we passed, I couldn't help but get the feeling that he somehow magically grew a bit taller since the last time we stood next to each other. I made my way to the machine until the little coin slipped past my fingers and rolled underneath the machine. I groaned in frusteration and slammed the machine in anger. I was about to bend down on my knees until I felt a finger poke my shoulder. Turning around, I thought it was Gakupo but it wasn't. It was Kaito.

"Here," he said, handing me enough money to buy another snack. "Take this."

"No thanks." I answered, turning away, but Kaito grabbed my arm and spun me back to face him.

"I'm sorry." He said, looking apologetic at me. "I... I never knew. You were right, I was the worst. I need you. I promise I'll change. I really... miss you."

"What made you suddenly decide you want me back?" I argued, crossing my arms.

Kaito made a sad face. He made that facial expression when he felt uneasy. He sighed and replied, "I didn't know. I felt... no, I thought you were happy with the way I was. I never knew you were unsatisfied. If only I could go back and change my attitude, then this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry. I miss you, Luka."

I knew what he wanted me to say. He wanted us to be a couple again. Part of me wanted to accept but how could I be paired up with someone who can't even prove himself he's worthy of me?

When Kaito didn't hear me respond, he looked really sad. I half expected him to give up and go away but he didn't. Instead he held my hands and told me these words, "I'll prove to you I'm the only one for you."

Kaito was finally going to prove something to me. I don't know how but he said he will. I thought he was lying but I was wrong. He really tried.

* * *

He waited in front of my house every morning to walk me to school. I chose to ignore him every day and walked to school as fast as I possibly could without making any physical contact with him. Kaito never gave up. Even after I refused to accept his offer to walk me home, he still tried. No matter how I treated him, he never gave up. He even presented me with a box of chocolates I liked, but I didn't accept it.

Everday was a different day. Every morning, there were different gifts. Kaito would bring something for me and I would always decline. Or, if I felt nice enough, I accepted small offers and gifts. Accepting his gifts didn't mean I held any feelings for him.

During lunch, Gakupo and I chose to sit with my other friends, Lily, Len, Piko, and the others. They didn't mind us joining them and they knew something was wrong since they knew Kaito was eyeing me every once in a while but they chose not to ask me anything. I was thankful for that. Gakupo tried to shift my mind to something else and I was happy he was trying but it wasn't enough. I couldn't help but keep glancing at Kaito who was eating lunch with Yuuma and Mikuo. Once, when we made eye contact, he smiled at me.

When he smiled at me, I felt... giddy.

* * *

I was frusterated.

Not only was I stressed because of Kaito, I was even more stressed because I still couldn't figure out how to complete the old man's favor.

I know I can tell him all the stuff I remember since I was little, but I felt it was wrong. It was like a multiple choice question. I had to think of the right way to tell the story or else it'll be wrong. I felt like I should tell him something different but I wasn't sure what. I wanted to ask Gakupo for help but I couldn't because that would be breaking the rules.

I never thought I would be able to answer the favor until this day.

It all happened after school when I started to view things differently. Everything was the same but there was a weird vibe I kept feeling. It wasn't the smell of gas from the gas stations, it wasn't the smell of freshly baked break from the pastry shop, it wasn't even the feeling I had when Kaito followed behind me a few steps back. I didn't know what it was so I ignored it.

It wasn't until Kaito called my name. I ignored him but soon felt something wrong when he continued to call me.

"Luka!"

"Don't follow me!" I shouted.

"Wait-" he ran up to me and held my right shoulder with one hand. "Something doesn't feel right-"

"Let go!" I shouted. Up ahead, I saw the crosswalk light blinking with numbers, signaling people to hurry and run to safety before the traffic light turns green. I increased my pace to distance myself as far away as I possibly could from Kaito. I could feel his footsteps behind me slowly starting to speed up but it was too late. I managed to run to the old man's side before time was over, leaving Kaito on the other side standing miserably while cars started to cut between us one by one like ants.

"Luka, listen to me!" I heard him shout. I turned around miserably to face him. "Give me a chance." He begged. "I need you to listen to me."

I looked down at my shoes feeling guilty. I didn't answer him. I couldn't. Part of me wanted to listen to him but the other side of me wanted to leave him. A series of cars creating a melody using their honk made me look up with my full attention. I saw Kaito looking miserably trying to cross the busy road to get to my side in one peace.

"Don't move!" He shouted, looking for a way to cross the street. "Stay where you are!"

I took one step back.

"Stop!"

I took another step back and turned around to continue my way home.

"Get out of the way!" he shouted. I don't know why, but Kaito's voice made me stop. His tone was strong. It was strong as steel, but it sounded as if he was pleading. I didn't know what he was trying to say. Turning back around, I saw him waving at me to move but I didn't know what he was trying to tell me. It wasn't long until I noticed the shadows surrounding me moving madly. It confused me for a second because I knew for a fact that shadows do not move unless the possession starts to move. By the time I looked up, everything happened so fast. In slow motion, I saw a series of ceramic materials falling from the sky. I remember I was in a shock that I couldn't move my feet to move to safety. I remember a sharp pain in my arm before flying a few feet away where I ended up landing on the hard concrete floor with my legs sending messages up to my body, indicting it was in a need of aid.

I felt the ground shake as Kaito ran to my side and lifted my shoulder up so my head was on his chest. That was when I saw a hat roll around on the dusty sidewalk. I slowly moved my head to see someone covered in broken pieces of hard bricks.

I gasped.

I saw someone lying on the concrete floor, dead, and I started to realize something.

The man who died saving me was the old man.

The old man who stood next to the crosswalk light everyday risked his life to save mine.

I suddenly began to understand everything you said to me since we first met.

_"You'll figure it out. You always did."_

Part of me wanted to forget everything because it hurt to think about it. The more I understood, the more I felt guilty.

_"You always did."_

The old man knew my name since the beginning without me having to tell him.

The old man… is _you_.

You are Kaito.

Like you said, time travel is possible.

You traveled back in time to save me knowing I would die today.

You saved me.

No, you saved me many times. I was blind to see it happen.

You proved how much you love me.

I saw his hat roll around on the messy sidewalk and land in front of us. Even though broken bricks were scattered everywhere, I saw the back of the the old mans head stick out of the dusty path. The old man had hair. It was a mixture of blue and white. White because of age.

"Luka," Kaito held me firmly, "are you alright? Are you hurt? No, of course you're not okay. You're bleeding! Hang on; I'm going to take you to-"

"I'm sorry," I cried, twisting my body to hug him. "I'm sorry. I'm… sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I… I love you. I need you. I'm sorry."

Kaito stood there in surprise at my sudden outburst. He had no idea what to do since I never showed this side of me to him. Then, he held me closer and gently patted my head whispering, "It's alright. I'm here, Luka. Everything's okay now. I love you, too."

"Don't ever forget." I said, pulling away to face him. That was when I noticed his eyes. They were glistening with tears but there were no doubt the blue eyes were the same as the old mans. It was shining blue, the same as yours.

"Of course I won't." He replied, wiping my tears away. "I'll never forget."

I wanted to thank you for making me realize how much I love Kaito. I wanted you to know that I love you.

As for your favor, don't worry. I now know exactly what to tell him. I'll be sure to tell him everything without leaving anything out. He'll definitely want to hear it.


	11. January 16

**January 16  
****Genre: **Mystery/Tragedy  
**Summary: **Everyone believes Prisoner 13224 is suicidal. Kaito, a new officer, is about to discover the wild fantasy created by his captive.

* * *

**January 16**

The atmosphere around here is oppressive.

I felt uncomfortable in my new uniform. No matter how many times I ironed it or unbuttoned some of the buttons, the uniform felt strange when I wear it. It's a new experience. I've never wore these kinds of fancy uniforms in my life. I need to get used to them to do my job without any distractions. What made it even peculiar is the handgun, handcuffs and the baton that are resting on the side of my belt.

I glanced to my side to catch a glimpse of a fellow officer, Gakupo, talking to me as we walked. Every time an officer walked by, he stopped in the middle of his speech to introduce the newbie, a.k.a. me, to the senior before continuing his sentence. His long purple hair that he always tied into a pigtail revolved behind his head as we continued to walk. I know I need to listen to him but it's hard to pay attention to anything when you're in a building built for the "bad people." He didn't seem to feel out-of-place walking in a hallway filled with endless numbers of prison cells with criminals behind the bars in each one.

"This is the area you'll be guarding," Gakupo explained, his finger circling a certain area in the air. I nodded as he started to explain what I'm responsible to do when I guard. I already know what I'm supposed to do. I reread the instructions many times last night before I went to sleep, but I let him instruct me without cutting him off. When he finished, we continued our stroll until we reached the main office.

"That's Yuuma," said Gakupo, pointing to a slender officer standing in the back of the room leaning against the window. "Go introduce yourself." He ordered.

Gakupo didn't hesitate to push me from behind and I was practically forced to greet a person I've never met. Coming closer, he seemed fragile. Yuuma looked away from the window and faced us with his arms crossed.

"Is this the newcomer?" he asked, setting his eyes on me.

"My name's Kaito," I began, extending my hand. "Kaito Shion."

His pink hair barely reached his eyes so I had a clear view of his golden eyes watching mine as he slowly reached out to shake mine. "Yuuma," he answered dully.

"Oh look, it's Kiyoteru," said Gakupo. I have no idea who's this "Kiyoteru" person so I turned around and spotted the glass wall Gakupo was looking at. There's a tall officer and a prisoner on the other side, walking past the office with his hand gripped tightly on a female captive so she wouldn't run away. His other hand held a key most likely to open the prisoners' jail cell.

We watched until the duo was out of our sight and Gakupo broke the silence first. He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a sheepish grin. "Listen," he said, "prisoners stay locked in their room all day. No expectations. We give them time to go outside for some air. When they go out, you _have_ to keep watch."

"I know." I answered. It was on one of the guidelines I read last night.

"There are many who obediently follow your orders," he continued, "but not all. Some pick a fight. That's where the baton comes in handy. A few need special care. They're suicidal."

"Not all of them have freedom." Yuuma explained. "They would rather die instead of wait for the day to arrive."

I nodded with my hands clenched. "I understand."

Gakupo flashed me a bright smile and patted my back. "Today's your first day. You'll do fine. We'll watch over you for a few days until you get the hang of it. Now, if you'll excuse me," he went over to a nearby desk and picked up a large can of paint and a paintbrush. "I'm a busy man. I need to start repainting the east side of the building."

I watched Gakupo go fulfill his mission until a cough broke my trance. It turned out to be Yuuma with his arms still crossed against his neat uniform. "I should warn you. Sometime this place is crazy," he said, "but you'll get used to it."

* * *

I found out Yuuma and I have the same schedule so we decided to stick together and he would show me around. He watched me do my job of leading the captives outside when it was time to give them fresh air. Gakupo was right about the prisoners. Many follow your orders but there are some who refuse and try to pick a fight. There were only a couple of times when I had to hold my baton. They all show different emotions, but they all have something in common. They all have the same lifeless eyes.

Outside, prisoners run a few laps or walk around aimlessly going nowhere while we keep watch. I watched the internees do whatever they're doing while Yuuma pulled out a tablet from somewhere in his pocket. He poured a few pills in his mouth followed by a sip of clear water from his water bottle.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Multivitamins," he says. "I don't have time to eat a proper meal."

I made a mental note to buy some on my way home in case I happen to have the same problem in the future.

Keeping watch is an easy task. It wasn't long until an emphatic scream pierced our ears from a building somewhere behind. I noticed many prisoners ogling at the building where the sound came from but then turning back and doing whatever they were doing as if they forgot what happened a few seconds ago. Very few didn't intend to stare and acted as if they were deaf. I turned to face Yuuma for answers, but he was acting like one of them.

"What was that?" I inquired, looking uneasily at his inscrutable expression.

"Nothing," he deadpanned.

"Shouldn't we go and see?"

"No, we don't."

"But what if someone's in trouble?"

I heard Yuuma sigh and click his tongue. "One of us has to keep watch," he says. "You go."

For a second I felt unsure if I should leave Yuuma behind; but after realizing someone might be in serious trouble, I hustled to the area where the sound took place.

My hypothesis was correct. I heard more screams followed by a low grunt. The more I heard, the more I was tempted to see what was happening. The screams were enough to lead me to an open cell. I started to panic until I noticed a fellow officer with medium brown hair limping when he walked out of the prisoner's room and locked the door. Everything seemed fine, but the panic started to return when I caught sight of his right hand bleeding perpetually.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, unable to take my eyes off his red hand.

The officer must've not noticed me earlier because he took a step back in surprise and looked at me incautiously.

"Are you alright?" I said again. This time I was watching his chocolate-brown eyes staring into mine.

"Yes," he replied, readjusting his glasses. "I'm fine."

But he's not. The fresh blood is still oozing out of his skin.

The man must've noticed me gazing at his injury because he quickly hid the bloody hand behind his back and said, "I'll be fine. Ignore what you just saw." He then rushed past me muttering "She's a monster," along with other harsh words until I couldn't hear him anymore.

I couldn't understand what happened just now. Curiously, I took a peek at the cell he came out of. The room is dark without a hint of light but I'm able to make out a small figure- possibly a female- looking like it's sitting on the concrete ground. I glanced at a tag hung next to the door of the prison cell and quietly whispered the written words to myself,

_Prisoner 13224._

It's not one of the captives I'm ordered to keep watch. I stared at the drops of blood before realizing I'm wasting valuable time. Perhaps Yuuma can answer some questions I have in mind.

* * *

"How is she?"

_How is she?_ I thought. _I was right. How did he know?_

I faced Yuuma in confusion. "What?"

"Prisoner 13224," he explained, rolling his eyes. "You went to see her, right?"

"Yeah," I answered, remembering the number written on the tag. "I did."

"How's she doing?" he asked again.

"I'm not sure." I admitted. When he looked at me with questioning eyes, I quickly added, "I didn't have time to look at her."

He didn't ask any questions after that. I guess I looked like I was thinking of her because Yuuma suddenly says, "She's older than she looks."

I turned to face him in surprise. "What?" I asked.

Yuuma looks at me and I immediately know who he's talking about.

I finally gathered the courage to ask, "…What kind of person is she?"

He sighs. "I don't know much about her."

"You don't?" I glanced at him unsure if he's telling the truth or not.

Yuuma shrugged as if he's saying he didn't care what I thought of him after that. "All I know is she's always causing trouble," he says. "She's suicidal."

I remember Gakupo telling me there're some people who need special care. Prisoner 13224 is in need of care. I made another note to myself to be cautious whenever I'm around her.

* * *

The next day, I was given an extra task by the higher-ups.

I'm ordered to watch an extra batch of prisoners for the time being while an officer stays home to recover from an injury. I didn't feel bothered by the assignment. Instead, I felt proud. I figured they assigned me to be the substitute because I'm doing well for a newcomer.

The prisoners I'm assigned to watch are polite. They all followed my orders without any rude remarks as I led them outside to their limited freedom. Not all tasks are easy to accomplish. A problem arrived when I somehow ended up standing in front of Prisoner 13224's room.

"Prisoner 13224," I called her number. I waited a few seconds before unlocking the bar. "It's time to go outside." I announced.

The door opened and I waited for her to come out, but I realized I looked like a fool when she didn't come out nor respond to any of my calls. I called her number again and again until I gave up and entered her room. She was lying down in the back of the room with her back facing me. Curiously, I walked toward her. She wasn't asleep. Prisoner 13224 was softly patting the concrete ground, whispering something I couldn't quite catch.

"…I'm not alone," she softly murmured.

I bent down next to her and started to smell something strange; something metallic. Taking a closer look at her moving hand, I noticed a strange color oozing down from her wrist and the same color splattered on the spot she was patting her hand.

It's blood.

The blood on the ground seemed strange. I had a feeling something was wrong. I leaned toward her to examine it a little closer and noticed the blood seemed to be smeared. It's smeared to create some kind of picture. I noticed the constant movement of her hand caused the illusion to become deformed.

Before I could do anything, she moved quickly and turned around to place her hand tightly around my throat, forcing me create heavily unattractive sounds to come out of my mouth. She's trying to kill me. I didn't have the strength to reach for my baton. Seconds later I found myself able to breathe again when I spotted two guards pulling her away from me and starting to drag her away. It was the prisoners turn to create the sounds I made earlier, and I found myself looking at her in fear.

Some prisoners obey the orders given to them while others pick a fight. Some are healthy but the ones who don't fit into that category are considered crazy.

Prisoner 13324 is a crazy person.

My hand raised on its own to feel my bruised neck. I continued to sit on the ground, waiting for the shock to fade away. My lips are chalky pale. My brain couldn't function properly after that incident. I didn't know what to do.

"You alright?" said a voice.

I looked up and saw Gakupo leaning against the doorway. He didn't have the same frightened expression I had. His was calm, but I can feel his anger bristling under his skin.

"Yeah," I responded, slowly getting up from the bloody ground. "I'm alright."

Gakupo told me to take a rest and he'll take care of everything. He said he sent someone to take the captive somewhere quiet so she could think of what she did wrong. He led me back to the office and ordered me to sit down and take a few minutes to steady myself. Gakupo stayed next to me while I tried to forget what I just experienced.

"Does she…"

He gazed into my eyes and said, "Hm?"

"Prisoner 13224," I hear myself say. "Does she always draw stuff using her blood?"

Gakupo didn't seem to know anything about what I just said because he said, "Draw what?"

"…Nothing."

Gakupo had to excuse himself to go finish his work. I later found out my hands and my uniform was stained in blood so I walked to the restroom to wash my hands. I looked at my reflection on the mirror and the sight of it surprised me. My throat was a deep, crimson red. You could actually see the shape of Prisoner 13224's fingers outlined in the coming bruise, and all I could do was stare at it.

* * *

The next day, I felt nervous. I didn't know how I should act around Prisoner 13224 after almost getting killed by her. I didn't want to go near her but I was curious about the doodling she made.

I went inside and found her in the same position as yesterday. I noticed her wrist was neatly wrapped in a bandage, but then I realized her other wrist was bleeding. Why is she doing this to herself? I grabbed her arm to halt her actions, but she struggles and tries to pull away from my grasp, saying something I couldn't understand. She's weak. It wasn't long until I had her pinned to the ground.

"You're bleeding," I insist, my bottom lip is trembling.

"I'll live."

I stopped myself just in time to realize she actually said something I understood. She spoke. She spoke to me. Prisoner 13224 actually talked to me.

I caught her looking at my neck.

"Remember this?" I told her, releasing my grasp and pulling my tie low so she could see it closer. "You did it to me when I first approached you."

"I did that?" she questioned. I looked at her when she backed away, realizing it wasn't a question. "I did that," she said again. But this time, she said it so quietly that I almost couldn't hear her.

"Why are you doing this?" I heard myself say to her. "You're hurting yourself."

She didn't reply. She bit her bottom lip to indicate she wouldn't say anything to me.

"I saw it," I said after a few moments of silence. I pointed to a spot next to her. "The picture."

She seemed startled when I told her what I knew. The way how she started to shake told me I wasn't seeing things. There's something she's hiding from me, and I'm determined to found out what it is.

"Why?" I asked again. "Why do you hurt yourself?"

No words left her mouth.

"Do you not want to tell me?"

She nodded.

I sighed. "Then can you at least tell me why you draw on the floor? You make it look like you're trying to kill yourself."

She didn't reply. It was expected but I found myself sighing. I'm wasting valuable time. I was about to get up until I felt a pair of cold hands grab my arm and pull me back with a soft whimper. I looked at the hand in surprise and my eyes widened when I realized it belonged to the prisoner.

"Alone," she whispered.

"What?" I leaned closer to hear her better.

Prisoner 13224 started to tremble and I realized this is something no one ever sees her do. "I didn't want to be alone," she says.

Prisoner 13224 whispered something about using her blood to draw random people on the ground so she wouldn't feel alone. The way she rolls around in her sleep and her hand constantly patting the ground smears the picture making it look like she's suicidal. She way how she held my hands proved to me that she's afraid. She's like a child who's afraid of the dark. Her actions made me want to hug her and be her friend. And I did.

* * *

Prisoner 13224's guard successfully healed and came straight back to work. I realized that I saw him once before I met him the day his hand was bleeding. It was the day when I first arrived. His name is Kiyoteru. He's the guy who I saw taking a prisoner to their cell when I first arrived.

He came back to work, but that doesn't mean I stopped seeing Prisoner 13224 altogether. I offered to help him and he agreed. With Kiyoteru around, we couldn't talk much without getting caught. The only time we can talk is when I escort her to and from outside. We decreased our pace to lengthen our time together. The more we talked, the more she stopped acting suicidal.

From that day on, I spent every free time I could spare visiting Prisoner 13224. I learned many things about her. I learned that her name is Luka and she's twenty years old. I've always thought of Luka as a mere prisoner who acted suicidal, but I never realized how beautiful she is up close. Her long pink hair mesmermized me. The way how she would look at me with her dazzling blue eyes made me fall for her. We never talked about our history. It was a useless subject. I would tell her about the outside world and she would always be eager to listen to my stories. Talking about the world seemed to interest her. Even the tiniest things somehow fascinated her. She's like a child who's eager to learn new things.

There were many times when I wanted to break the rules and take her on a journey somewhere far away. It would just be the two of us together. I wanted us to be normal people and go on normal dates. I wanted us to have a normal relationship without anyone thinking of us as an officer and a prisoner.

We always talk whenever I visit her. All I wanted to do is speak to her and listen to her husky voice.

"I have second thoughts about my life," she admitted when I once visited her.

"Now you're not alone," I grinned. "I'm right here. I'll talk to you anytime you want."

We both smiled.

* * *

Yuuma has a person he secretly likes.

I didn't know until I saw him in the office one day looking worriedly at a phone he held in his hands. The Yuuma I know always lacked emotions. I had to blink a couple of times to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"What's wrong?" I asked when I reached him. "Are you sick?"

"He's about to ask someone out," answered Gakupo, who was sitting on a nearby couch. He didn't seem to care that there were paint marks all over his uniform.

I blinked in surprise and said, "A girl?"

I watched Yuuma starting to shake as he began to type something on his phone.

"Who is she?" I inquired, turning his phone so I could see the name of the contact.

"She's a childhood friend of his," Gakupo answered again. "Her name's SeeU."

"SeeU?" I repeated the name out loud, thinking silently to myself how strange it sounded.

Gakupo has the power to read people's minds because the next thing I know, he's telling me everything he knows about her. I learned that this SeeU girl Yuuma has a crush on is Korean, seventeen years old, 159 centimeters tall, weighs 44.5 kilograms, has azure eyes and long curly blonde hair that reaches to her upper thigh, her voice is light-hearted and cute, wears fake cat ears for fun, likes cats, wears XXS size clothes, and favors cream puffs.

In short, she's cute and lively. She's the exact opposite of Yuuma.

It's also kind of stalkerish how Gakupo knows this information about someone else's soon-to-be-girlfriend.

I raised an eyebrow at Gakupo. "How do you know so much about her?"

He shrugged. "I met her a few times."

"Do… do you think she'll say yes?" Yuuma asked, looking at us for hope.

Before I could respond, Gakupo answered first.

"It won't work," he says. "You two are two different species."

I rolled my eyes and ordered Yuuma to look at me. "She'll say yes," I assured him. "Don't listen to a word he says."

I sat on a desk and started to spin a pen with my fingers while watching Yuuma type his proposal. Yuuma is a good person. Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like him as their date.

I suddenly started to wonder how two different people could get along. Luka and I are two different people. We're different species. We're different, but we get along just fine. We never fight and argue. If she wasn't a prisoner and I stopped being an officer, we could go on normal dates like every other couple. Just the thought of it made me smile.

The speaker hung on the ceiling started to beep and a female voice was heard all over the office.

_Officials have announced…_

I watched Gakupo roll his eyes and groan.

"Here we go again," he muttered.

…_due tomorrow…_

Yuuma started to click his tongue as he kept his eyes focused on his phone. The announcement was the least of his worries.

_Prisoners 4526, 14714, 2841…_

"It never ends."

…_378100, 62527…_

"Why isn't she responding?"

…_13224…_

The last sound was the sound of my pen dropping to the floor.

* * *

"Good work today," said Yuuma with a smile. He was adjusting his black beanie when he said that to me. "See you tomorrow."

I nodded and watched him leave while I put on my signature blue scarf. Gakupo has to work tonight and Kiyoteru already left the building a few minutes ago. Since Yuuma and I have the same timeslot, we usually head outside together. But not today. Yuuma made plans with his new girlfriend while I wanted to be alone for a while. I finished gathering my stuff and looked around the office. It's empty. The other officers left or are doing their night shifts. I closed the door behind me and began to walk.

I made sure to lower my pace when I passed Luka. She was inside her room, sleeping. I didn't want to wake her so I silently smiled to myself while looking at her. She doesn't know what's coming for her when she wakes up the next day. I didn't tell her about the announcement. Prisoners aren't supposed to know until the day of the event.

I want to help her. I want to free her. I have access to the keys in the office. I could easily get it and free her. I want to take her outside and show her the world she's missing out.

I can't do it.

Gakupo, Yuuma, Kiyoteru and the other jailers have been here long enough to get used to the penalty. This is the first one I'll be experiencing.

I'm not ready.

How can I let her go without trying to do anything? I wanted to bang my head against the wall after thinking how useless I am. My hands are clenched tightly into a fist until I thought of something. An idea popped into my mind and I turned around to go back to the office to get started. Gakupo has the can of paint resting next to his desk. I prayed no one would see me.

* * *

Morning arrived without any trouble.

I don't know how I managed to sleep, but I did. I must've been very tired last night because right when I arrived home, I felt asleep without another thought.

I'm in the office sitting at my assigned seat. Kiyoteru volunteered to escort Luka- no, Prisoner 13224- to her destination. I can feel myself tremble and my heart beating like a staccato. Officers and prisoners are not allowed to have romantic feelings toward each other. No, they're not supposed to have _any_ feelings in the first place. It would only bring them pain if they did, and it's true. No one can tell what I looked like because my face is buried against my hands. Gakupo is sitting in desk, silently reading a book he brought. Neither of us says a single word until a sound of fast paced footsteps came to our way. It indicated someone's arrival.

"Hey," gasped a voice. The voice belongs to Yuuma. Judging by the lack of air, I guess he ran here.

After a few seconds of silence, I heard Gakupo answer for me.

"What is it?" he says.

Yuuma deep a deep breath before answering, "Someone painted the walls."

"What?"

"Someone drew on the walls using paint."

"Draw where?"

"The exit leading to the place," Yuuma answered.

No one needed to ask him where the place is. Everyone knew.

"What did they draw?"

I saw Yuuma shrug between my fingers. "Random stuff," he answered. "Cars, grass, animals, business stores, and lots of people. Whoever drew that should seriously start taking art lessons."

"Is that it?"

"She smiled," stated the pink-haired officer. "I was on my way here when I saw them pass by. I saw her smile and… crying."

She smiled. I felt my shoulders loosen after hearing him say that. My body started to tremble, but I still didn't reveal my face to the others.

I felt Yuuma lean close to me to get a better view. "Kaito," he asked curiously, "are you crying?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I excused myself from the others and practically ran outside. The fresh smell of paint spread around the hallways making me cringe and wish I had something to block the awful smell. My failed attempt of drawing the world is smeared all over the walls. It's not breathing, but to me, they all seemed alive. I'm sure she thought the same when she passed the hall.

Prisoner 13224 wasn't alone.

* * *

**A/N:** As you all know, the London Olympic already started. I felt like writing a tragedy one-shot after watching the Men's 400m Freestyle and finally started to type this after watching the Women's Individual Epee. I was not amused with the results.


End file.
